


Little Red Robin and Jason the Bitchy Black Wolf

by Myoneloveismusic



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Lots of Angst, M/M, Supernatural AU - Freeform, Tim can't catch a break, Werewolf AU, Werewolf!Jason, heat - Freeform, possessive!Jason, there's like one smut chapter here, werewolf!Dick, with a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-06-27 15:12:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 34
Words: 27,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15687972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: Jason was ready to pick up everything and leave after he was turned. He didn't think there was anything left for him and he was certain Tim wouldn't want to stay with him now that he was a werewolf. But after a surprising turn of events and Tim's habit of knowing what he wants and going after it, everything seemed to be working out for them. Until a new group of Weres tried to move into Gotham that is.~~Part of my Write 365 series posted on Tumblr.





	1. Chapter 1

Most of what Jason remembered from that night was the pain and the blood. He thought he was dead or that he was dreaming. Until he looked down at his ripped and bloody shirt that looked like it had been slashed by claws, but his chest was in one piece. 

He stumbled back to his apartment, throwing out the shirt and getting cleaned up. He thought he was fine and everything was normal until the first full moon came around. 

More pain, more blood. His back arched, hair covered him, his nails lengthened into claws and he got even taller. Through the murkiness of the need for blood and to eat and hunt and howl to the moon, was a sense of understanding. He almost lost himself to the beast, almost let himself get swallowed by it, but he fought back because the beast urged him to hurt and go after a lone person walking down the street. 

He was a lot of things, but he would not kill innocents. 

That was the first time he ran off to handle his shift. it only lasted the one night and the shift back was just as painful, but he survived. He crawled back to his apartment, exhausted, shaking and probably traumatized for the millionth time in his life. 

Jason got his shifts under control pretty quickly. He even knew how to shift when there wasn’t a full moon. 

Tim’s the person he’s worried about the most. What would he think of him if he knew the kind of monster that was lurking underneath? What if he got too close and Jason lost control and lashed out at him?

“Jason?” 

Jason froze as he reached for the toast that had just popped up in the toaster. He swallowed and grabbed it, throwing it onto his plate. 

“Jason, what’s going on?” 

He cleared his throat and scraped butter onto his toast. “What do you mean?” 

“What do I mean? I mean the fact you’ve been ignoring me and pushing me away. What’s going on?” 

“You’re imagining things, Tim, I’m not-” The words died in his throat when he turned and found Tim staring at him, eyes open and vulnerable and filled with hurt in a way that Jason had never wanted to cause. He stopped and fought to collect himself because as much as Tim was hurting in that moment, it paled in comparison to Tim getting sliced open and killed if he couldn’t control himself. 

“Fine,” Jason said, setting the plate down heavily on the counter. “You want to know what’s going on?” 

“Yes,” Tim sighed, like Jason wasn’t about to break both of their hearts. 

“I think we should break up.” 

The words felt cold in his mouth, heavy and wrong. His brain immediately protested and screamed at him and told him to take it back, suck it back in and make it all better. 

Tim’s face crumpled. He turned and fled Jason’s apartment leaving him in silence. Jason squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed, feeling his own being shatter into a million pieces and the thing inside of him shout to chase him down because he’d hurt his love. 

Instead, he turned back to his food and bit into his toast, the bread immediately disintegrating into ash in his mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

After several days of silence from what felt like everyone, Jason was on the end of his rope. He was tense and knew a full moon was approaching, but was even having trouble concentrating on that when the only thing he wanted to do was run. 

He wasn’t sure what managed to keep him from attacking the second his apartment window was thrown open and Dick jumped inside. 

“What the fuck do you want?” Jason hissed. 

He stopped short at Dick’s frown and crossed arms. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, voice level and even in a way that had Jason’s flight instinct blare red. 

“What do you mean?” 

Dick sighed and pinched the bridge of his noise. “I really would’ve thought you’d have figured it out by now. Especially with how long it’s been, but I guess I was really fucking wrong with that one…” he grumbled. 

“Dick, what. Are. You. Talking. About.” 

Dick glared at him and Jason almost bared his teeth. Almost. He barely stopped it. There might’ve actually been a whisper of a growl low in his throat. 

“You’re not the only werewolf in Gotham, Jason.” 

Jason froze, eyes going wide. “What?”

“I would’ve thought you would smell it on me after long enough. Once you’d gotten your senses nailed down and figured out what you were doing. I expected a confrontation, but when it never came I figured we could just leave it since you weren’t killing innocents and we’d already shared territory long enough, I didn’t see you as a threat.”

“I’m not a threat-” 

“Shut up,” Dick said sharply. Jason blinked, some of the fight draining out of him at his tone. “This isn’t the time to get all high and mighty, Jason. The point is, I thought I wouldn’t need to intervene until you decided to break Tim’s heart.” 

Jason’s stomach turned over and a stab of pain radiated in his chest at the reminder. 

“Now, we’re getting somewhere,” Dick said, letting out a breath. “Nice to know you actually regret what you did.” 

“Wait, how do you know that?” Jason asked. 

Dick raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t know all that much about being a werewolf, do you?” 

Jason threw open his arms. “It’s not like I had a mentor or anything,” he shot back. “I’ve been having to figure my own shit out.” 

“Fair enough. But what I meant was I can smell it in your scent. It went sour after I mentioned Tim.” 

“Oh,” Jason said, softly. 

“But we can talk specifics later. If you even care anyway. But what I came to say is that you need to go to Tim and apologize to him. Pushing him away isn’t going to do you any good and I’m sure he’s going to be a lot more welcoming than you think.” 

“He’s not going to want anything to do with me after he figures out what a monster I am,” Jason shot back. 

Dick shook his head. “Then you really don’t know him at all. Think about it. But know this, if you’re not willing to tell him what’s going on, I will. He deserves to know. Later, Jason,” he said, turning and climbing back out the window. 

Jason rubbed a hand over his face and sighed before slumping over to the couch and falling back onto it. He needed to think, but thinking was the last thing he wanted to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Jason found himself on one of the roofs across from Tim’s apartment every day for a week, but he never managed to work up the courage to swing to the other side and actually talk to him. 

Jason sighed as he landed on the roof of his own safehouse and dropped down onto the fire escape, pushing through his window. He pulled off his helmet and ran a hand through his hair, the usual sour feeling returning to his stomach. It was the kind of feeling that left him tempted to drown his sorrows in a bottle of vodka and pass out on the couch. 

Things weren’t the same without Tim. Everything in his home felt wrong. Everything smelled wrong. It wasn’t home. 

He froze when he’d made it to the opposite side of the main living area, a familiar scent washing over his senses. 

“So were you ever going to come and actually talk to me or were you just going to keep showing up and being creepy and hanging out on the buildings opposite my apartment?” 

Jason swallowed and turned slowly, finding Tim standing inside his window in civvies, arms crossed across his chest and looking decidedly pissed. 

“Tim-” 

“Shut it,” he hissed and Jason felt something twist further in his chest. “You told me you want to break up, but aren’t leaving me alone. So what’s going on?” 

“I…nothing,” Jason said, taking a step back. “I just want to know you’re okay.” 

Tim’s face twisted into something ugly and he stalked across the living room, pushing into Jason’s space. “If you really cared about whether I’m okay or not, you wouldn’t be giving me so many mixed messages. What the hell do you want from me? Tell me what’s going on!” 

“I’m-I-I,” Jason cut himself off and closed his eyes. Tim’s proximity and his smell was overpowering. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it or how much comfort he’d drawn from it when Tim had still be around. “I’m a werewolf,” he whispered, unable to keep it in any longer. 

Tim’s expression morphed from anger to confusion to understanding. He took a step back, getting out of Jason’s immediate space. “Was that why you broke up with me? Were you afraid of what I’d think?” 

“I could hurt you, Tim. I’m not safe to be around.” 

Tim smiled and it was the complete opposite of what Jason expected to see that he temporarily forgot his train of thought. 

“You haven’t hurt me so far. You haven’t hurt the people of Gotham. I know you, Jason. I know how much you take care to stay in control of yourself. You wouldn’t let yourself hurt me.”

Jason shook his head. “No, I could. Something could happen in a fight or when we’re together, or-” 

Tim cut off his protests, winding his fingers into Jason’s hair as he brought their lips together. Jason’s arms immediately circled Tim, the beast inside of him purring happily at having Tim so close, having his warmth seeping into his skin. 

“You could’ve told me, you know,” Tim said, when he pulled back. He smiled when Jason’s grip tightened, keeping him close. “I know about Dick, you know.” 

Jason gaped. “You know about, Dick?” 

Tim raised an eyebrow. “Uh…yeah. I’ve known for years. It actually wasn’t too hard to figure out when I started thinking about it and putting the pieces together.” 

“Well, shit. I feel like an idiot now,” Jason grumbled. 

“Does this mean we can get back together?” Tim asked. “Because I’m getting really tired of having to sleep alone.” 

Jason practically melted at those words and ducked his head for another kiss. At least for now, Tim still wanted him and Jason didn’t want to give him up for anything, as much as the voice in the back of his head was trying to convince him of how bad of an idea it was.


	4. Chapter 4

Jason slept better than he had all week and something inside of him purred happily at waking up with Tim in his arms and his face buried in his chest. Jason smiled and ducked his head, pressing a kiss to the top of Tim’s head before taking a moment to breath him in. 

“Did you just sniff me?” Tim mumbled. 

Jason stiffened. “No!” he scoffed. 

“Really? Because I’m pretty sure you just did. Is this some weird wolf thing? Do you go around smelling people’s butts?” 

Jason could hear the smile in Tim’s voice and he grumbled under his breath. 

“Keep talking like that and I’ll pee on you to mark my territory,” Jason shot back. 

“You wouldn’t,” Tim hissed, trying to pull away. 

Jason grinned and kept Tim close. He rolled them over and pinned Tim into the mattress. He glared up at him and Jason dipped his head. 

“Or I could mark my territory in a different way,” he murmured, breath ghosting over Tim’s skin as he skimmed his teeth over Tim’s neck. 

Tim shivered underneath him and something raw spiked the air. Jason froze and inhaled deeply, eyes going wide when he realized it was Tim he was smelling. He pulled back and looked down at Tim who’d squeezed his eyes shut and was biting his lip. Jason pulled back further and looked between their bodies, catching sight of the small bulge in Tim’s shorts that indicated the beginning of an erection. 

“Like that idea, do you?” Jason asked, looking back up at Tim. 

“Shut up,” he grumbled and threw an arm over his eyes. 

Jason hummed and nosed at Tim’s neck. “Want me to leave bites and bruises on your neck that everyone can see? Want me to take you until you smell like me even though anyone who isn’t a werewolf won’t know just who you’re taken by?” 

“Fuck,” Tim hissed. 

A loud bang sounded from the living room. Tim gasped as Jason swung around and kept him tightly behind his back. 

“Jason!” 

Jason growled, only some of the tension falling from his frame. “What the fuck, Dick?” he practically screamed. 

“I just wanted to check in and see if you finally went to talk to-oh,” he said, stopping short in the doorway. 

“Yeah, oh,” Jason hissed. “Now would you get out of my apartment?” 

Dick’s nostrils flared and his eyes widened. “Oh,” he said. “OH!” 

He turned and fled the bedroom. Jason winced when the window banged a second time on Dick’s flight from his apartment. 

Jason sagged forward, feeling the adrenaline in his system already bringing on a crash. 

“Jason?”Tim questioned behind him. 

“Sorry,” Jason mumbled, pulling away and falling onto his back on the mattress. 

Tim scooted closer and leaned over him, gaze concerned. “Are you going to be okay?” 

“Yeah.” 

Tim frowned before laying down next to Jason and curling into his side. He pressed a kiss to Jason’s chest and draped an arm over his waist. Jason sighed and closed his eyes. 

He breathed in the smell of Tim next to him, trying to fight down the rumbling beast inside of him that demanded to protect and fight and draw blood for an outsider to come into their home. 

This was what he was worried about. If he didn’t handle himself, things would only get worse.


	5. Chapter 5

Jason stopped on the top of the building and took a deep breath, cataloging all of the different smells that permeated Gotham and he hadn’t noticed before. He looked up at the clouds and could see the muffled silhouette of the moon that was fighting to break through the coverage. The full moon was getting near and his senses were becoming heightened. He wouldn’t have to go through the change when it happened, but it always felt easier when he did. Less like he was betraying himself. 

He let out a breath and jumped from his perch on the roof to the level below before sprinting across the rooftop and jumping to the next. He picked through the smells, searching for anything that was off, until something bitter caught his attention and sent up warning flags. 

Jason swerved and changed direction, firing his grapple before he jumped from the roof and swung to the other side. He covered the distance in no time at all and peered over the edge into a dark alley. 

He caught sight of two figures and crouched, narrowing his eyes to get a closer look. Something changed hands rapidly and Jason immediately knew what was going on. 

He leapt from the roof, jumping down the edges of the fire escape until he landed in the alley. The two figures, one a man and one a woman, backed up at his presence, the woman visibly shaking. Jason didn’t know if it was because of his presence or if she was that far into withdrawal. 

Jason held his hand out to the woman. “Give me the bag.” 

That snapped her out of whatever she was doing. She shook her head and backed up against the alley wall. The dealer took his chance and tried to run in the opposite direction, but Jason unholstered his gun and shot him in the leg without a second thought. 

He fell heard, scream echoing over the rooftops. The woman in front of him flinched backwards. 

“Give me the bag,” he repeated. “I won’t ask again.” 

She closed her eyes and Jason could see the war she was having internally over the drugs. He’d seen it plenty of times. But he also saw the moment when she chose to run. 

She barely made it a step before Jason stuck his leg out and sent her sprawling on the pavement, her arms out wildly at her sides and a small bag of white powder clutched tightly in her fist. 

Jason sighed and pressed his boot over her hand. She squirmed, trying to push him off, but he applied more pressure and bent down, easily taking the bag from her. 

“Maybe now you’ll learn not to spend all of your money on drugs and do something good with your life,” he muttered as she struggled to her feet. When she tried to make a grab for it, Jason held it out of reach. “Stock up on food and water and the shit will be out of your system in a couple days. Now get out of here,” he said, pushing her towards the entrance to the alley. 

When she paused as though she’d try and get it back, Jason raised his gun. She immediately fled and left him alone with the dealer. 

He turned on his heel to face the dealer who was clutching at his leg. As Jason stalked over to him he could smell the fear that stunk the air. Jason grinned under his helmet, finding pleasure in the terror wafting off of him. Maybe he could start to like the senses he’d been ignoring for so long. It would make things a little more interesting. 

Jason left him strung up for the cops to find, but he took the rest of his drugs and flung them into the harbor. 

Later when he caught up with Tim on his patrol route, he found the smell of Tim’s sweat and adrenaline the sweetest thing he’d encountered all night. It made him wonder if he could make him smell like that without having to go out on patrol and if it would be even better that way.


	6. Chapter 6

Jason groaned, fighting back the wolf inside of him. He didn’t know what he’d been hit with or who this magician was, but things were going south very fast. Tim looked over at him with a pained expression and Dick was on the opposite side of the room, sagged against the wall and clutching at his side. 

Jason didn’t know if he’d been hit with the same thing as him, but his wolf was wanting to come out and it could already sense the presence of another wolf even if he wasn’t shifting. 

“Hood?” Tim asked nervously. He was clutching two disks between his fingers, body angled towards the magician where he was still holding his staff and smirking. 

“Well, looks like my work here is done. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your pet.” He floated up from his spot on the floor and Tim didn’t hesitate to fling a disk at him, knowing he couldn’t let him get away. 

He flinched and hissed when it grazed his arm, glaring at Tim where he was still on the ground. In a flash of light he was gone and Tim felt his last hope of ending this crumble to dust. Especially when he heard Jason’s low groans behind him morph into a low growl. 

Tim swallowed and turned slowly. He trusted Jason. Trusted him with his life and his heart. But he’d never been around Jason when he was in wolf form. And he’d never been around him when he was forced into his wolf form by magic. 

Jason had shifted and was on all fours, lips pulled back to show his canines as low growls rolled from his throat. He looked like he was ready to attack and Tim raised his hands, hoping to placate him in some way. He flinched back when Jason let out a pointed growl. 

“Jay-Jason,” he forced out, trying to quell the shaking quickly overtaking his limbs. “Jason, it’s me. It’s Tim.” 

“I don’t think you’re getting through to him,” Dick painted from where he was leaning against the wall. 

Jason’s ears turned at the sound and his head snapped to the side, growl deepening as he took in Dick. His nostrils flared around a breath, teeth baring further. 

“Shit…” Dick muttered. 

“Dick? What was that?” Tim asked, taking a risk to look over his shoulder where Dick had a grim expression on his face. “What’s he doing?” 

“He scented me,” Dick said, trying to straighten. “Even though I’m not changed, he knows I’m a wolf and because Jason doesn’t have any control over himself right now, he thinks I’m a threat to his territory. And if there’s a threat, it’s his job to attack and protect his home.” 

Tim’s eyes widened. “Fuck.” He looked back at Jason who’d lowered his body closer to the ground and was obviously getting ready to sprint across the ground. As Jason’s back legs tenses, Tim darted forward without thinking. 

“JASON NO!” he screamed, intercepting Jason’s path to the panicked shouts coming from Dick. He threw out his arms and stared up at Jason who loomed over him, teeth bared as fierce growls and hot breath wafted over his skin. 

“Jason, I know you’re in there. This isn’t you, snap out of it,” he pleaded. “Please. You know me. I’m your boyfriend. Dick’s your brother. You wouldn’t hurt your brother, would you?” His eyes searched Jason’s elongated face for a change. For some show of understanding. “Please. You have to pull yourself out of it. Jason.” 

He didn’t make a move at first and Tim was worried Jason would push past him to get to Dick. But the growls coming from Jason quieted as he calmed. He lowered his head so his eyes were closer to Tim’s and Tim could see the clarity in them. The emotions that signaled it was Jason in there and not some senseless beast. 

Jason pressed his head against Tim’s chest and Tim cradled his head in his hands, shaky fingers brushing through soft fur. It was only a moment before Tim wrapped his arms more securely around Jason and hugged him close, feeling relief flood his veins. 

He didn’t realize he was crying and shaking until Jason whined against him, tongue darting out to lick the tears from his cheek. 

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Tim said, wiping the back of his hand against his face. “We should get you back to the Cave. See if we can’t figure out how to change you back.” 

Tim pulled back and Jason fell into step beside him, positioning himself at Tim’s side so Tim could tangle his fingers in his fur.


	7. Chapter 7

Tim pulled and bit at the end of his already butchered thumbnail from where he was perched on a stool in the Cave. Jason was lying down on the floor of the Cave, still in wolf form, his eyes locked on Tim across the space between them. Zatanna was walking around him, brow furrowed as she thought over how to turn him back from his magic-induced shift. 

She nodded after completing another circle. “I think I’ve figured it out. Stand back everybody.” She raised her hands and took a breath, centering herself as the magic flowed through her veins. “ **Ekam Nosaj namuh!** ”

Tim watched the air shimmer around Jason and he flinched backwards as his form started to shake. There was a loud pop and a flash of light and Jason, human Jason, was where his wolf form had been a few moments ago. Jason didn’t hesitate to grab the blanket next to him and wrap it around himself after having lost his clothes. 

“Thanks Z,” Tim said, jumping off his stool and rushing over to Jason who pushed himself up on shaky legs. 

“Yeah, thanks,” he said, turning his attention to Tim. 

Bruce and Zatanna moved off to give them some space. 

“Are you okay?” Tim asked, searching his face for any sign of discomfort or pain. “You’re not hurt are you?” 

Jason shook his head. “I’m feeling a little fuzzy, but I should be fine after a day of rest. Being forced to shift was worse than anything else.” 

“Good,” Tim breathed, leaning his head against Jason’s chest.

Jason wrapped his arms around Tim, holding him close. He buried his face in the hair at the top of his head and breathed deeply, finding comfort in his smell after everything that happened. 

“You shouldn’t have stepped in front of me,” he murmured. 

Tim stiffened. “If I hadn’t you would’ve hurt Dick.” 

“He’s a were, he would’ve been fine.” 

“He was injured and you were forced into a shift. He wouldn’t have been able to defend himself.” 

Jason huffed. “Tim-” 

“You wouldn’t have hurt me, Jason. You _didn’t_ hurt me.” Tim looked up at Jason with narrowed eyes. “You need to give yourself more credit. I know you’re worried about your wolf side, but you know who I am and you know how to control yourself.” 

“I don’t want to hurt you, Tim.” 

Tim could see the vulnerability in Jason’s eyes and how much he’d been fighting himself this whole time. He was reminded of why Jason had pushed him away in the first place and isolated himself even though that was the last thing either of them wanted. 

“You’re not going to hurt me, Jason. You’re not a monster. This is another part of you. It’s intertwined with who you are even as much as you think it’s separate. Stop thinking so little of yourself.” 

Jason’s eyes slid shut at the words and Tim could see his resolve crumbing even further. 

“Do you mind if we get out of here?” he asked. 

“Go get changed and we can go home,” Tim said, softly. 

Jason swallowed at the word ‘home.’ The beast inside of him purred happily at Tim thinking of his apartment as home. Jason was more than a little pleased at it himself. 

Maybe Tim was right and they weren’t so different after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The knotting chapter was already posted separately here on AO3, but you can read it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14040483) if you haven't already!

Tim was leaning up against the arm rest of the couch with his laptop on his legs and was searching through info pages on werewolves. He’d long since exhausted the scientific research at his disposal, half of which was still kind of spotty, and had resolved himself to sifting through blogs and community pages and forums to try and gather some understanding as to the human-animal hybrid Jason was now part of. 

There was still a large group of people who didn’t let themselves believe in werewolves despite the growing amount of evidence and reports, making it difficult for adequate scientific research to be conducted. And Tim wasn’t about to offer Jason up in the name of science so he was left with reading multiples of the same theories and old tales that had been passed down over the years, and Tim was more than a little sure they had no actual standing whether they’d been studied or not. 

What had started his search had been less of an interest in Jason’s physiology and what the new changes would mean, although he did get a lot of health related information when it came to the scientific articles and learned Jason would most likely have faster healing times now and be stronger as both a human and a wolf. 

He was curious as to what had happened during their last time in the bedroom when…something had happened with Jason’s dick and had locked them together for about an hour. Tim was less concerned as to whether that was a standard amount of time now that he was changed or if there was something else going on. 

He should’ve expected it to be as ridiculous as everything else. 

Tim furrowed his brow when he first came across the term ‘knotting.’ He’d thought it would just be another hunt through false information and old legends that wouldn’t have any standing. 

He was more than a little surprised to find an entire forum on the topic and started reading through the threads, feeling his face heat up more and more with each response he made it through. 

_Knotting is the process in which a werewolf’s (typically an alpha’s) cock expands at the head during intercourse with a compatible mate. The expansion occurs before the werewolf comes and is designed to keep the semen inside the mate for a higher chance of the seed taking to ensure pregnancy._

Tim swallowed and started scrolling through the responses, hoping his morbid curiosity wasn’t about to leave him scarred forever. 

_Knotting doesn’t happen during every session. It often depends on the right situation: absence of threat, strong compatibility with partner, heightened emotions, etc. The length of knots vary depending on the were, but I’ve found among people an average length is an hour.  
_

_Removing a knot is incredibly painful. Don’t attempt unless absolutely necessary.  
_

_I love when my boyfriend knots me. It makes everything that much better.  
_

_My partner can only knot me when we’re doing it doggy style. Speaks to his wolf side._

“Hey, Tim-” 

Tim yelped and slammed his laptop shut, looking over his shoulder at where Jason had just swung around the corner from their bedroom and was staring at him. 

“Uhhh, everything okay?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yes,” he answered. 

“Riiiiighttttt,” Jason drawled, unconvinced. 

“Did you need something?” 

Jason held up the plastic bottle in his hand. “I was going to ask if you could add shampoo to the shopping list. We’re getting low and should pick up some more.” 

“Yeah, sure.” 

Jason nodded and slowly turned away from him before walking back down the hallway. Tim rubbed a hand over his face, but didn’t bother opening up his computer. He wasn’t sure if he should tell Jason about what he found. It was kind of embarrassing. 

What was more embarrassing was that Tim liked it. A lot.


	9. Chapter 9

A blood-curdling scream pierced the air and Jason sprinted across the rooftops. He was on the edge of town, The buildings were crumbling and the streets were dimly lit, the perfect setting or any sort of crime. Without thinking, Jason dived off the side of the building, firing his grapple gun before swinging to the cracked and broken sidewalk. 

He froze when he saw a wolf cornering a woman. Drool was hanging in long streams from the sharp canines protruding from its lips. Jason narrowed his eyes behind his mask and slipped his gun from his holster. The eyes of the wolf were too bright for a wild animal. He recognized that look. Knew he reflected it every time he changed. 

The wolf sniffed the air, huffing a breath before turning to face Jason. 

“Get out of here,” Jason said, not taking his eyes off the best in front of him. “Get somewhere safe.” 

The woman fled, footsteps loud on the concrete. Jason raised his gun and pointed it between the eyes of the wolf in front of him. 

“I don’t take too kindly to people killing in my city. Especially weres,” he growled.

The wolf growled at him, eyes narrowing. 

“Reese, stand down.” 

Jason didn’t look away from the wolf as he pulled out another gun and pointed it at the new guest. “Who are you?” he asked. 

“The name’s Evans. This is Reese.” 

Jason watched as Reese sat back on his haunches, shifting back into his human form without making a move to cover himself. Jason let himself glance to the side where the new guest had walked out from the trees. Evans was wearing a suit and tie, hands stuffed in his pockets and looking completely at ease with the world around him. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“I think we should be asking you that question,” Reese said, pulling Jason’s attention back to him. 

“Gotham’s my home,” Jason answered. 

Reese grinned and Evans chuckled. “Now you know that’s not what I meant,” Reese said, taking a step forward. “What’s a were doing in Gotham?” 

Jason’s eyes widened behind the mask, but he kept his posture loose and relaxed. “I could ask the same of you.” 

“We’re a pack searching to resettle. We knew there wasn’t one around Gotham so we thought it would be a good place to lay our roots,” Evans said. 

“Well if you’re planning on doing what I think dog-boy here was going to do to that woman, then we’re going to have a problem,” Jason said. 

“Oh?” Evans asked. “What do you live off of if not the citizens of Gotham?” 

Jason furrowed his brow. “Actual food like a normal fucking person.” 

“But you’re not a person,” Reese said. “You’re so much more. Like us.” 

“If you think I consider myself to be better than everyone else just because I’m a werewolf then we’re definitely going to have a problem,” Jason said. “I’m no better than anyone else. I’d argue that I’m actually worse because of it. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop protecting the people of Gotham. So I’d suggest you either play by my rules or you leave.” 

“Why protect the people who don’t understand you, who would have you dead, when you could be part of a pack and have all the family you ever need?” Evans asked. 

Jason thought of Tim and how he’d had no problem accepting him after everything. Even after he’d tried to push him away. 

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve already got someone who had no problem accepting me for who I am-” 

“You mean another were?” Reese asked, excited. “So you do have a pack?” 

“No. He’s not a were. He’s a human,” Jason finished. “Now, you can either stay and play by my rules or leave and never come back.” 

Evans and Reese turned to each other and grinned, but before they could even think about shifting, Jason hit both of them between the center of their eyes. Their forms crumpled to the ground, motionless as twin streams of blood slid down the sides of their foreheads. Jason sneered and turned on his heel, leaving their bodies to the rats. 

That night when Jason crawled into bed and wrapped himself around Tim he took a moment to breath in Tim’s smell. Tim was everything he needed. Tim was home. 

Maybe Tim _was_ his pack.


	10. Chapter 10

Tim let out a heavy sigh and bit his lip, hesitantly raising his hand before rapping on the door three times. He heard excited footsteps inside and blinked when the door was thrown open and Dick enveloped him in a tight hug. 

“Nice to see you too, Dick,” he mumbled into Dick’s shirt where his face was being smothered. 

“What brought you by, little bro?” he asked, finally letting him go only to pull him through the door and into his apartment. 

“I have a few things I wanted to ask you.” 

“What about?” he asked, directing Tim towards the kitchen where a half-eaten bowl of cereal was sitting on the counter. Dick picked it up and resumed eating while Tim leaned against the kitchen table. 

“Well I was looking up some things on werewolves so I could know better how to help Jason if he needed it and figured I could run some things by you for clarification since you have more experience.” 

Dick shrugged. “Sure thing. Ask away.” 

Tim scratched the back of his neck. “Well, the first thing I found had to do with healing and that werewolves aren’t invulnerable, but they are stronger and have higher healing abilities.” 

Dick nodded. “Yeah. The strength has more to do with stamina when a wound is inflicted than anything else and mostly applies to when we’re in wolf form. So if we’re, say, shot in the shoulder, we won’t fatigue as quickly from blood loss. But, as you said about us still being vulnerable, fatal shots won’t be stopped. So whether I’m in human or wolf form, if I get shot in the head, I’m most likely dead. If I’m shot in the spine and it hits the mark, I could still be paralyzed either way.” 

Tim’s eye widened. “I didn’t think of it like that.” 

“Yeah. The heightened strength of a werewolf doesn’t apply to everything. We can just as easily die as someone else.” 

“So then how do you handle different enemies?” 

Dick smiled. “Woah, there Tim. Don’t let your brain get ahead of the conversation. I’m not planning on fighting crime as a wolf anytime soon and I doubt Jason would either. We don’t go looking for trouble as wolves when we have less combat experience and a greater chance of getting hurt. We don’t have a layer of kevlar or body armor protecting us when we’re wolves.” 

Tim winced. “Sorry. I guess I kind of have a one track mind when it comes to things like that.” 

“Don’t worry about it. Just now that there’s going to be less risk of attack as wolves. And with the healing too, it won’t take as long for wounds to heal. They’ll still hurt like hell and have to take the time to heal, but where you might be laid up for a broken leg for six weeks, we could have it healed in three or four.” 

Tim pouted. “That’s not fair.” 

Dick laughed and munched on his cereal, the spoon clinking against the side of his bowl. “It’s our physiology. Now don’t go getting any ideas about trying to get changed. I’ll tell Jason and he won’t let you leave the house.” 

“I’m not going to try and become a were,” he sighed. “I have enough dealing with you and Jason.” 

“At least I’m out of my growing pains stage,” Dick said, pointing his spoon at him. 

“True.” 

“So what else did you want to ask?” 

Tim stared at the spoon moving around inside Dick’s bowl and sought the courage it would take to ask the question he’d really come there for. 

“So I kind of got sucked into a wide range of forums and web pages on weres while I was doing research…” 

Dick chuckled. “Why does that not surprise me?” 

“Yeah,” Tim said. “And well, I came across this term that I’m not really sure about. There was some commentary, but I don’t think I”m understanding it completely and was hoping you could explain it better.” 

Dick cocked his head to the side. “Sure, what did you find?” 

Tim looked into his bright blue eyes and fought the urge to wipe his palms on his jeans. 

“I believe the term was…’knotting?’“

Dick choked and spluttered, nearly dropping his cereal bowl before setting it safely on the counter while managing to splash milk over the side. “What forums were you on?!” he screeched. 

“The normal ones!” Tim exclaimed, feeling his face heat up. “It just came up and said it had something to do with sex and I didn’t know the extent of what it meant!” He stared at Dick, hoping he would buy the vague explanation. He didn’t need him to be anymore scandalized. 

Dick stared at him for a moment before burying his face in his hands. “God, I can’t believe I’m going to talk about this,” he muttered. “It’s sort of a biological thing that happens. There’s no controlling it. A were has to have the right mate and high compatibility in both a sexual and romantic relationship, it can’t be either or.” 

“So, realistically,” Tim said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. “A werewolf could end up knotting a human.” 

“Well, yeah, I mean-” Dick cut himself off, gaze snapping up to Tim who did his best not to fidget. “Tim, why do you need to know that?” 

“Well, you see-” 

“Oh my god are you going to have sex with Jason?” he screeched. 

“Dick, calm down,” Tim said, raising his hands. 

“Oh my god did you _already_ have sex with Jason?” 

Tim sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Tim, did he knot you?” 

Tim blinked as hands wrapped around his arms and shook him gently. 

“Jason knotted you. My baby brother got knotted by my other werewolf brother. My baby brother had sex.” The horror on Dick’s face continued to grow. 

“Dick, it’s really not that big of a deal,” Tim said, trying to pull out of his grip. 

“Not a big deal?” Dick asked, gaping at him. “It’s a huge deal!”

Dick finally paused for breath and his eyes narrowed, putting Tim on edge. 

“Dick?” he asked. 

“I have to go talk to Jason,” he said, releasing Tim as he went to shove his feet into a pair of shoes. 

“You’re going to-what?” Tim asked, hurrying after him. 

“Jason. Talk. Now.” 

Tim followed after Dick as he stalked down the stairs to the sidewalk, trying to comprehend the sudden change that happened.


	11. Chapter 11

“Dick?” Tim asked, hurrying after him down the hallway to Jason’s apartment. “Dick what are you planning to do?” 

Dick strode ahead of him, long strides eating up the floor as Jason’s door got closer and closer. 

“Dick?” 

He barely paused, knocking loudly on the wooden door. Tim watched nervously as Dick stared at the door, waiting for it to be pulled open. 

“Tim I know you have a key-” Jason started as he pulled the door open. He froze when he came face-to-face with Dick. His eyes cut to the side and he took in Tim. “What’s going on?” 

“Let me in, Jason.” 

Jason’s eyes narrowed and he straightened. “Why should I?” 

Dick heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes. “This isn’t the time for your posturing. Just let me in, I have something I need to talk to you about.” 

Jason looked down at Tim who shrugged. He stepped to the side and pulled the door open wider. Dick walked inside and Tim followed after him, fidgeting in place. Jason dropped a hand on his lower back and Tim leaned into the touch, finding solace despite how very awkward things were about to become. 

“Okay so what’s this about?” Jason asked as Dick leaned against the far wall, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Tim told me you knotted him.” 

Tim choked and coughed as air stuck in his throat, trying to clear the drops of spit that fought to fill his lungs. Jason rubbed his hand up his back. 

“Knotted? What the hell is that?” Jason grumbled. 

Dick rolled his eyes, staring up at the ceiling. “Fucking useless were,” he muttered. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jason asked. 

“It means I can’t believe you made it this far without knowing anything about your own body,” Dick shot back. “At least Tim considered learning more about your physiology and healing abilities and had the forethought to search the forums for what happened during sex.”

“You told him that?!” Jason exclaimed, turning to Tim. 

Tim flushed and ducked his head. “Not on purpose. It just kind of came out.” 

Jason grumbled something under his breath. “So what about it?” 

“’What about it,’“ Dick mocked. “A fuck ton about it, that’s what. As Tim already knows, knotting only happens in certain situations which you means you obviously value Tim as a _mate_ rather than just someone you care about and have romantic feelings for.” 

“A…mate?” Jason asked. 

“Yes!” Dick said, throwing up his arms. “A mate! Someone you share a lifelong bond with. A bond that practically transcends the spiritual into something larger. I knew you cared about Tim, but I didn’t realize it was on this scale. Knotting is another step in bonding. It’s less visceral since Tim’s human, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important and I doubt this will be the last time it happens. 

“So the stronger your bond grows, the worse off both of you are going to be if something were to happen to Tim. If he gets injured, you’re going to have a one-track mind and won’t be able to focus on anything other than his safety which will make things more than a little difficult if it happens during battle.”

Jason froze next to Tim, his hand coming to rest more securely on his hip. He pulled Tim close against his side. Dick’s perceptive gaze tracked the movement.  

“So what are you saying? That we should stop dating?” Jason asked. 

Dick scoffed. “Of course not. I know that’s unrealistic and that you already tried that once already. I’m just saying you need to be careful in battle and on missions. We’re going to have to take that into consideration so you’re not on mission together. We can’t let things deteriorate if you get sidetracked by focusing on Tim’s well being over the mission.”

“We’d never let that happen,” Jason scoffed. “We’re trained better than that.” 

“That means nothing, Jason,” Dick said. “You really think your instincts are going to let you listen to reason when everything inside of you is screaming to protect Tim and get him to safety over everyone else? You won’t be able to register any of that on your radar. Everything in you will be focused on Tim and making sure he’s okay. Maybe it’s time you took some of Tim’s initiative and started learning a damn thing or two about yourself.” 

Jason stared at him. “Is that all?” 

Dick sighed and closed his eyes. “Yes. That’s everything.” He pushed off the wall and walked over to where Jason had his arm wrapped around Tim. They side-eyed each other. Dick shook his head before moving past them. They heard the door open and close, leaving them in silence. 

Tim let out a breath and sagged against Jason’s side. “Oh my god talk about awful.” 

Jason chuckled and slipped his finger under Tim’s chin, tilting his head back. He pressed their lips together. 

“So you googled stuff about werewolves, huh?” Jason asked as he pulled back, lips pulling into a smirk. 

Tim felt his face heat up and turned to flee from Jason’s side, but strong arms wrapped around him and kept him close. 

“Let me go, Jason,” he said, squirming in his hold. 

Jason chuckled low in the back of his throat. “I don’t think so. I’d like to learn a bit more about why you decided to google these things.” 

Tim shivered as teeth nipped at the back of his neck.


	12. Chapter 12

Tim stumbled back into his apartment and placed a hand on the wall to steady himself as his other hand pressed more firmly against his bleeding side. He sucked in a breath, fighting against the pain and dizziness. He’d gotten hit in the worst possible place, far from any safehouse he had access to, leaving him to trek back across the rooftops towards his place. 

Gritting his teeth, he pushed off the wall and shuffled across the carpet towards the bathroom. He knew Jason was still out on patrol since it was the early hours of the morning. He sagged against the door of the bathroom and flicked on the light, bracing a hand against the sink counter before reaching underneath for the extensive first aid kit they kept underneath. 

He flipped open the lid before working his domino mask off and tossing it onto the counter. He unclasped his cape and let it fall to the floor in a pile. Tim sagged down onto the closed lid of the toilet seat, gripping tightly to the counter to keep himself from wavering. 

It was a slow process getting his uniform off and he could feel the blood sliding down his side with each movement he made. 

“Damn that’s gonna need stitches,” he muttered into the silence. 

He fumbled for the disinfectant, loading a cotton square with it. He grit his teeth and braced for the burn that came with pressing the cloth against his side. When he pulled it away it was striped red with blood. He tossed it into the garbage and pulled out another cotton square, pressing this against his side to reduce the bleeding. 

When it had finally stopped enough where it wouldn’t mess up his stitch job, Tim thread a needle and clenched a wash cloth between his teeth. He pressed the needle into his skin and winced, biting harder into the cloth as he stitched up the hole in his side. 

Tim dropped the wash cloth from between his teeth and sucked in a gasp of air after he made the last stitch. He tied off the end with sluggish fingers and dropped the needle back into the kit. He grabbed another cotton square and doused it in antiseptic, giving his injury one last swipe. 

He took a moment to catch his breath before pushing himself up off the toilet seat. He looked down at the pieces of his uniform, but the thought of bending down to pick it up seemed like too much work. Instead, he shuffled down the hallway towards the bedroom. He grabbed a pair of boxers before he sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. 

Somehow, he managed to get his uniform bottoms and jockstrap off and pull his boxers on. Tim crawled across the comforter before slipping underneath the blanket. His eyes slid shut and he sagged into the mattress, hoping he wasn’t about to bleed out in his sleep. 

~~

The first thing Jason smelled as soon as he got back in the apartment was blood. He stopped in his tracks, feeling everything inside of him freeze at the smell of Tim’s blood. 

“Tim?!” he called, breaking himself out of his haze. He vaulted over the coffee table in his haste to get further into the apartment and find Tim. He caught sight of a streak of blood on the door frame of the bathroom and whipped around it, expecting to find Tim bleeding out in the bathtub. 

Instead, he found Tim’s uniform in a pile and several bloody cotton squares in the trash. The first aid kit was still open on the counter. 

“Jay?” 

He stumbled backwards into the hallway, turning towards the bedroom where the door was ajar. 

“Tim?” he asked, practically tripping over his feet as he hurried down the hall. He pushed the door open and found Tim curled up in their bed, eyes cracked in the darkness. “Tim,” he sighed, hurrying forward to his boyfriend. His _mate_. 

He pulled off his helmet and knelt on the bed, reaching out to cradle his face. 

“What happened?” he asked. 

Tim pushed at the blanket draped over him and shoved it down around his waist, revealing the angry stitches on his side. 

“I got cut in the side. Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

Jason grit his teeth. Everything inside of him was seeking blood. It wanted the head of the person who hurt Tim. It wanted death. 

“Who?” Jason asked. “Who did this?” 

Tim shook his head against the pillow. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.” 

“Tim…” 

He shook his head again. “I’d rather not worry about that. Can you just change and come to bed? Please?” 

Jason stared down at him for another moment. He sighed and nodded. “Okay,” he conceded. He pressed a kiss to Tim’s forehead before sliding off the bed as reluctant as he was to put space between them. 

He changed quickly, not even bothering with a shower before he was crawling back into bed and pulling Tim against his chest. Tim sighed and pressed into him, calming the blood lust inside of him. It wasn’t enough to put the Were completely at ease, but now Jason was getting an idea of just what Dick meant when he’d said they couldn’t work together on missions in case Tim got hurt. Not when he wanted nothing more than to ensure Tim’s safety and rip the head off whoever caused him harm.


	13. Chapter 13

“You smell like a dog.” 

Tim whirled around, extending his bo staff and unconsciously blocking the criminal he’d subdued with his body. 

There was a man standing behind him wearing jeans and a ratty hoodie. His hands were hanging loosely at his sides, fingers curled loosely in towards his palms. His hair was rumpled and Tim noticed he wasn’t wearing any shoes on his feet. 

“Who are you?” Tim asked, not letting his guard down. 

The man grinned, eyes looking a little wild. He licked his tongue over his lips. “I’m new to Gotham. Came with my pack. We’re looking to settle down.” 

“Pack?” he asked, eyes narrowing. “You’re a werewolf.” 

His grin widened. “I am and you smell like you’ve been sleeping with one. So tell me…has he fucked you good? Taken you so many times it’s left you raw? Has he knotted you?” 

Tim’s eyes widened behind his domino mask. 

The man in front of him took a long sniff and scratched at his neck. 

“Oh you didn’t like that too much, did you,” he said with a low chuckle. “I guess he did then. But lucky for me, I found you.” 

Tim tightened his grip on his staff and widened his stance. 

“And what do you want with me?” he asked. 

The man’s demeanor changed. His expression was no longer good-natured and teasing. His grin turned feral, canines shining in the low light as his eyes narrowed. 

“Your dog killed our pack leaders. So we’re going to take something of his.” 

Tim sucked in a breath, taking a step back to look over his shoulder where there was a group of people standing at the entrance of the alley. The smack of bare feet on concrete caught his attention and he barely managed to turn his attention back to the first man and knock his aim off enough that he was scratched along the side instead of getting claws embedded into his chest. 

“Agh,” he hissed, flinching backwards as blood started to pour from the new wound. 

The man in front of him smiled, holding up his bloody claws. He flicked out his tongue and licked the edge of a nail. 

“Mm…delicious. I can see why he likes you. Your blood certainly has a…wonderful taste.” 

Tim grit his teeth and stumbled backwards, listening for any sort of movement behind him from the other three. If they all chose to make a move he wouldn’t be able to hold them off on his own. 

He dropped a hand to his belt and pressed his distress signal, hoping there was going to be someone nearby to give backup. At this point, he wasn’t sure if he wanted Jason to show up or not. Dick would probably be better. He was a were so he’d be evenly matched and wouldn’t get distracted by Tim’s physical state. 

“If you think that’s enough to take me down, you’re sorely mistaken,” Tim said, repositioning his grip on his staff. 

“A fighter are you? I always enjoy a fighter,” he said, taking a step back. “Makes the victory that much sweeter and more delicious. Mark, Tara. Go.” 

Tim ducked and spun on his foot as two of the weres rushed him from behind. He managed to block both of their initial combat attacks and stepped backwards, striving to keep distance between them. 

White-hot claws racked across his back and Tim gasped, falling to one knee as the two in front of him held there positions away from him. 

“Tsk, tsk,” the first man said, walking around him and crouching in front of Tim. “You let your guard down. Don’t expect your opponent to be so kind as to let you only be occupied with a handful of your foes.” 

Tim grit his teeth and looked up with narrowed eyes, earning him a low whistle. 

“You sure do have a spark in you. Can’t wait to see how much it takes to make that disappear,” he said with a chuckle, standing from his crouch and readying his claws. 

Tim wiped a shaky hand against his cheek and used his staff to help push him to his feet. The skin on his back burned and smarted with every movement he made and he knew if he waited to long and the blood started to clot, it was going to stick to his uniform, making the cleanup and first aid process a bitch. 

He swallowed and repositioned his grip on the staff, pointing the end of it at his opponent. At least now, all of them were in front of him. He just had to avoid getting cornered. And hoped someone would be quick to grab hold of his signal.


	14. Chapter 14

Tim fought to keep his eyes open. He was panting now. Several spots on his suit had gotten ripped and he was bleeding generously. He tried to grit his teeth against his need to breath, but found he couldn’t. 

He fought to tighten his grip on his bo staff, but his gloves were slick with his own blood and the group of werewolves hadn’t taken much damage beyond a few lucky shots on Tim’s part. They were toying with him. Playing with him and he knew he wasn’t about to make it out of this unless there was a disaster of epic proportions or someone dropped in to save his ass. 

He glanced up at the rooftops again, hoping to find either an opening to grapple to safety or to check if someone was about to drop in. 

“You done yet?” Jack, Tim had learned his name was Jack, asked. “Are you ready to lay down and die like the good little pet you are?” 

“As far as I can tell,” Tim said, squeezing the staff in his hands, “I’m the furthest thing from a pet you’re ever going to meet.” 

Amused laughter rose up from his attackers. 

It only lasted between one breath and the next when a growl tore through the air and a familiar figure jumped down between Tim and the group. 

“Nightwing,” Tim sighed, relief flooding through his veins.

The laughter cut off and Jack’s grin turned into a scowl. He took a long sniff. 

“Another were, but you’re not the one fucking him are you?” he asked, cocking his head to the side, eyes narrowing. “You pack?” 

“That’s none of your business,” Dick said, drawing his escrima sticks. “Vigilantes stick together whether we’re pack or not.” 

“Seems a waste. A pity really. You and the other one really could’ve gotten a hold on this city by now if you’d just used it to your advantage.” 

“Red Robin,” Dick said, ignoring his ramblings. “How are you holding up?” 

“Lost a lot of blood. Deep cuts, but nothing’s broken. He wasn’t done toying with me. Or he wanted me to die from blood loss.” 

Dick hummed and Tim could see the edges of his frown. “Can you get to safety?” 

“I don’t think so,” Jack snarled, rushing forward. 

The three behind him followed him quickly. Dick managed to block Jack’s claws and Mark followed it with another attack. The other two weres slipped past Dick and Tim struggled to raise his bo. He managed to fend off the first swipe of claws, but the second were knocked the staff from his hands, sending it clattering to the alley floor. 

A fist met his stomach and Tim gasped, crumpling forward, but he was stopped as a hand wrapped around his throat and pushed him against the building wall. He scrambled to get a hold on the hand around his throat, trying to pry the fingers away and suck in his air supply that was cut off as his boots kicked at empty air. 

“Red-” Dick’s protest was cut off as he got kicked in the side. He stumbled a step and straightened. 

“If you think we’re going to let him go so easily, you’re mistaken,” Jack said, walking towards Dick slowly. 

Tim stared down at the cruel grin in front of him as his lips moved without producing any sound. He was going to die. He was going to die here and Dick was going to watch. And Jason. Oh god, Jason. He’d be left alone after everything they went through. After Tim told him he was going to stay. 

A snarl bounced off the walls of the buildings around them a second before a brown blur landed close to Tim. The hand was ripped away from his throat and Tim collapsed, knees digging painfully into the concrete under him as his attacker was thrown against the opposite wall. 

“What. Are you doing. To my mate?” 

Tim wheezed and coughed, he tried to sit back to get a look at Jason, but all he managed was to watch Jason’s boots move in front of his vision. 

“Finally,” Jack said. “I was really hoping you’d show up. Revenge is even sweeter if it means killing your mate in front of you.” 

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Jason said, pulling his guns from their holsters. “I’m not letting any of you get near him again.”


	15. Chapter 15

The smell of gunpowder burned in Tim’s nose and the sound of bones breaking muffled together in his ears. He was woozy and each breath he sucked in was painful. He was still on his hands and knees, but felt like he was swaying dangerously, about to collapse at any moment. 

Most of what had come out of Jason’s mouth hadn’t been English, but ferocious snarls that bounced off the brick sides of the buildings. Dick hadn’t been as outright, but he’d been just as vicious in his fighting. 

“I guess….I….underestimated you, werewolf,” Jack gasped from where he was on the ground, Jason’s boot digging into his chest. 

“You should know not to get between a werewolf and his mate,” Jason said, pointing his gun between Jack’s eyes. 

“I could say the same of you,” he said, before letting his eyes slide shut.

Jason snorted. “You were mates with your pack leader?” 

Jack’s head lolled from side to side. “I only wished.” 

“Then you always were a coward,” he said before squeezing the trigger. 

Jack went still under his boot and Jason turned to face the others who Dick was still occupied with. He raised both his guns and Dick managed to barely jump out of the way in time before twin shots pierced their chests and sent them crumpling to the ground. 

A particularly strong wave of dizziness washed over Tim and he lost the minimal sense of balance he had left, falling to his side on the ground. He whimpered softly in pain. 

“Tim,” Jason said, already at his side. “Tim? Tim?” 

Tim wheezed and lifted a hand, searching for Jason. He caught his hand and gave it a squeeze. 

“Can you stand?” he asked. 

Tim shook his head. 

“Okay, I’m going to lift you up okay? We need to get you back to the Manor and get you help.” 

Tim nodded. 

Jason’s hands slowly wound under him and lifted him from the ground. He hissed in pain as he was shifted and curled in towards Jason, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to keep his breathing even. 

He was barely jostled as Jason walked out of the alleyway. 

“I’m going to get you back to the Manor, okay? The ride might be a little painful, but I just need you to hold on.” 

Tim’s brow furrowed. “M’kay, but how are you going to drive?” he grit out. 

“Don’t worry about it.” 

Tim felt Jason shift underneath him and he squinted through the pain to see what Jason was doing. He barely turned his head and saw where Jason was gripping the handle of his bike. 

“You can’t drive with me,” he protested. 

“I’m not going to wait for help and I’m not leaving you behind. I’m getting you back now.” 

“Jason-” 

“Tim, please,” Jason said, looking down at him. 

Tim swallowed and looked up at him, wishing he could see what his expression was, but the tense set of his shoulders said enough. His lips parted and he tried to say something, but Jason started the engine and looked ahead, balancing the bike expertly as he pulled out onto the road.


	16. Chapter 16

Tim shifted, feeling every part of his body ache against the hard hospital bed. He wasn’t willing to open his eyes yet. Even though he was trying to stay still, he could feel how exhausted and drained he was. He was going to be hurting for days. 

A warm hand pressed against his cheek and he forced himself to peel open his eyes. He squinted against the bright lights that threatened to shine into his eyes and found Jason looking at him, concern and worry filling his gaze. 

Tim smiled, his cheeks hurting with the movement. “Jason.” He tried reaching for him, but his arm slid across the plastic sheet instead of lifting like he wanted. 

“Tim, stay still,” he said, placing a hand over his forearm. “You got beat up pretty bad.” 

“I know,” he said. “I was kind of there when it happened.” 

“Not now, you idiot,” he chastised. 

“Sorry,” Tim apologized and sighed. 

Jason shook his head and ran his fingers through Tim’s hair, brushing it back from his forehead. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked. 

“Weak. I’m afraid to move because I don’t know what’s going to hurt.”

A shadow fell over Jason’s face. “Everything probably.” 

“I’m here now,” he murmured. “Thanks to you.”

Jason knelt next to his bed and gripped the edge of it. Tim missed the feel of his hands in his hair and on his skin. 

“They hurt you. They tracked you down and hurt you. Tim, I-” 

He shook his head. “I’m alive, Jason. Don’t lose yourself to this.” 

His head dropped to the bed, hands gripping the strands. “How can I not? You’re my mate, Tim. I love you. Fuck, I need you with every ounce of my being.” 

Tim smiled and placed one of his hands over Jason’s where it gripped his hair. “I’m not going anywhere, Jason. I won’t.” 

Jason caught his hand and pulled it from his hand so he could sit up without disturbing him. He opened his mouth to say something when he stiffened and snarled, head whipping around to look behind him. 

Alfred stood there with a tray in his hand, looking entirely unperturbed by Jason’s reaction. 

“Master Jason, I’ve brought some water and a nutritional shake for Master Timothy if he is up to them,” he said, holding out the tray. 

Jason swallowed and schooled himself. “Sorry Alfred,” he murmured. 

“It is alright, Master Jason. This has been a trying time for you and I will not blame you for being rather protective after what happened. I will leave this here for you,” he said, setting the tray on the table at his hip. 

They both watched him walk off and it wasn’t until he’d left the room that Jason managed to stand and retrieve the tray. 

“Do you want some water?” he asked. 

He nodded and Jason held the straw up to his lips. Tim took a few easy sips, grateful for the cool liquid as it soothed his aching throat. 

“Can you help me sit up some?” he asked. 

Jason nodded. He grabbed the remote to change the level of the bed and slid an arm under Tim’s back. He squeezed his eyes shut as Jason helped to raise him a little, biting his lip when pain radiated through him. He tried to breathe through it, but it came out as more of a hiss. 

The mechanical whir of the bed shifting was loud in his ears. He almost thought he’d never be able to lay back down when Jason started lowering him back onto the pillows behind him. Jason brushed fingers through his hair. 

“You okay?” he asked. 

It took more than a few seconds for him to pry his eyes open and look up at Jason. He tried to nod, but Jason’s lips thinned. 

“I want to take you home,” he blurted. 

“What?” Tim asked, wondering if he was imagining things because of the pain that wasn’t seeming to dull. 

“I want to take you home and keep you safe and away from everyone else who might hurt you.”

“I don’t think Alfred will let that happen,” he tried to joke, but it fell flat between them. “Will you…lay down with me?”

Jason’s shoulders sagged. “God, yes. I’ve been wanting to curl around you since we got back, but I didn’t want to hurt you.” 

“Just…careful,” Tim said as he wiggled to the side of the bed. 

Jason perched on the edge and eased himself down on the mattress. He carefully rolled onto his side and draped an arm over Tim’s waist, rubbing his fingers into his lower back. Tim sighed and shuffled closer. 

Jason pressed a kiss to the top of his head and took a moment to breath him in. The Were inside of him wasn’t totally satisfied with having him close. It was still wary about needing to protect Tim from any harm, but Jason could handle that. Tim was going to be okay and he was safe for the moment. Jason and the beast inside of him were prepared to protect Tim with everything they could.


	17. Chapter 17

Jason poked his head into the bedroom before he tiptoed inside. Tim was curled up in bed where Jason had left him. He’d wrapped him up with blankets and pillows so it looked more like he was huddled in a nest of things than anything else. The Were purred happily inside at seeing Tim safe and protected in his house under his care. 

He’d been more than a little relieved when Alfred had given Tim the all clear to come back to his house. Watching Tim get checked over by Alfred, even though he knew he wasn’t a threat, hadn’t been a pleasant experience. He’d dug his nails into his arms to keep from growling at the sight of Tim being touched by someone else. 

Jason perched on the edge of the bed and reached into the frame of blankets to where Tim’s head was pillowed. He brushed his hair back and Tim’s brow furrowed at the touch. He blinked his eyes opened, smile pulling at his lips as soon as he recognized Jason’s face. 

“How are you feeling?” he murmured. 

“A little better. I’m not as tired anymore even though I still ache a little bit.” 

“Are you hungry? I can make food.” 

“A little bit. Can we eat in here?” Tim asked. 

“Of course,” he said easily. “Do you want to watch a movie, too? I know you haven’t been doing much here by yourself.” 

Tim nodded. “Yeah, I think that would be great.” He started to sit up in bed and groaned even as Jason’s hands hovered over him like he wanted to help. Tim smiled at him, understanding his worry. “I just need to use the bathroom,” he explained, slowly extricating himself from the blankets. 

“Okay,” Jason said, not sounding convinced. He stood from the bed and gave Tim space to swing his legs over the side. He took a deep breath and glanced up at Jason with a sheepish look on his face. “Uh, Jason?” he asked. 

Jason smiled and wrapped an arm around Tim, helping him stand from the bed. Tim winced and sucked in a breath through his teeth. Jason held him close without squeezing too much. Tim leaned into him, trying to work through the soreness and stiffness in his muscles. 

They shuffled from the bedroom and down the hallway. Jason tried to help Tim into the bathroom, but he stopped him at the door. 

“I can take care of this myself,” he said, pushing Jason towards the kitchen. 

Jason pressed a kiss to Tim’s forehead before he let himself be moved away and he hurried into the kitchen. He dug through the plastic bag for the containers of food he’d brought for them. He scooped the pasta into two bowls and poured two glasses of water. 

He made it back to the bedroom with the food and was looking through the movies in the living room when he heard the bathroom door open. He grabbed the movie he was looking at and stood from his crouch. 

He heard a thump against the wall and his eyes widened. He hurried around the corner and found Tim leaning heavily against the wall. He rushed over to him and wrapped him in his arms, steadying him on his feet. Tim sagged against his side, unsettling the Were inside of him. 

Jason pressed the movie case into Tim’s hand and picked him up in his arms, holding him close to his chest. He curled against him and they walked back into the bedroom. Jason set Tim back within the blankets and helped put pillows behind him. 

“You okay?” he asked. 

Tim nodded and gave him a smile. “Yeah, thanks.” 

Jason set the movie up and left it to play before he passed off a bowl of pasta to Tim who kept it close to his chest and pulled a blanket around him. 

Jason grabbed his own food and settled onto the bed, sliding up next to Tim who leaned into his side. Jason dropped a kiss onto his head and enjoyed the warm food, feeling content with the mixture of his and Tim’s scents around him. 

He finished eating before Tim did and wrapped his arms around his form, holding him tightly. Tim shuffled over to sit between Jason’s legs and leaned against his chest, letting Jason wrap his arms around his stomach. 

It was a relief compared to the past few days of being left to watch Tim suffer through his wounds. He wanted nothing more than to keep him in his arms for as long as he could.


	18. Chapter 18

Jason pushed through the window to his apartment. Tim looked up from his computer and grinned at him. There was a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and he had his legs stretched out on the couch. Jason smiled even though Tim couldn’t see it. 

“Morning, Babybird,” Jason said, reaching up to pull off his helmet. He walked around the back of the couch and braced a hand against the back cushion so he could bend down and give Tim a kiss. 

Tim’s hand came up and curled in his hair, keeping him close. Jason tried to press closer, but the couch kept them separated. 

“How are you feeling?” Jason asked when he finally pulled away, breathing deeply through his nose. Tim’s scent had gone sweet and he wanted to breath more of it in. 

“Better. Stronger,” Tim said. “Ready to get back on patrol?” he asked, hopefully. 

Jason swallowed, images of him being attacked by a group of Weres flashing through his mind. He forced a smile. 

“How about we start with a sparring session after some sleep?” Jason suggested. 

Tim groaned and sighed. “Fine,” he agreed. 

“I’m gonna grab a shower. You should head to bed. I’m sure you’ve spent too much time on that thing already,” he said, trying to close the lid of the laptop. Tim stopped him and gave him a look and Jason raised an eyebrow. 

“I’m almost done,” he protested. 

“I’ve heard that one before,” Jason said, pulling the computer from Tim’s hands. 

“Jason!” he cried. 

He tucked it under his arm as Tim fought to free himself from the blanket that was wrapped around his shoulders. Jason hurried down the hallway and slipped into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. 

“Jason!” Tim said, pounding on the door. “You know I can get in there!”

“If you come in here, you better be ready to get in the shower with me,” Jason shot back as he started to shed the different parts of his uniform. He was met with silence. 

Jason was stepping out of his cargo pants when the lock clicked and Tim pushed the door open, lock picking tools in hand. Jason raised an eyebrow and Tim’s eyes immediately slid to his computer on the sink counter. 

“I came for that,” Tim said, stepping towards it. 

“I don’t think so,” Jason said, intercepting him. He wrapped an arm around Tim’s waist and pulled him against his chest. Tim squirmed and reached towards his computer that was still half a foot away. 

Jason pressed his lips against Tim’s throat, sliding down towards his low hanging shirt collar. Tim still squirmed in his hold, focus on his work. Jason parted his lips and sucked on the skin before he bit down lightly into his shoulder. Tim froze in his hold, drawing in a sharp breath. 

His scent flared to something sharper and sweeter than before. Jason nosed at his neck, wanting to smell more of it. Tim shifted in his hold, but it was a different movement from before. He wasn’t trying to get away anymore. Jason kissed along his neck, lips dragging lazily over skin. 

Tim swallowed and let out a shaky breath. “I thought you were going to take a shower.” 

“I told you,” Jason said, lips moving against Tim’s skin. “If you came in here, you were going to be getting in the shower with me.”

Tim shivered. 

“So what’s it going to be Tim?” 

“I think…you should get a shower and then come join me in bed.” 

Jason plucked the lock picking tools from TIm’s hand and walked Tim over to the door. He set him on his feet and turned him around, pressing a kiss to his lips. 

“If you go for any of your other tool kits, I really will pull you into the shower with me,”  he said before he pulled back and shut the door, turning the lock again. Jason set the tools next to the laptop and shoved down his jockstrap before he stepped into the shower under the warm spray. 

The heat felt good against his tired muscles and he gave himself a minute to enjoy the feeling before he reached for the shampoo. He listened for the sound of the lock turning as he showered, but everything stayed suspiciously quiet. 

Everything was as he’d left it when he stepped out of the shower and he toweled off quickly before wrapping the towel around his waist. He left his uniform in the bathroom and headed back to the bedroom where Tim was already curled up in bed. 

Jason pulled on a pair of boxers and a shirt, leaving his wet towel to hang over the open drawer. He crawled in bed behind Tim and wrapped an arm around his waist. Tim hummed and turned in his hold, curling closer into his chest. He sighed, the sound barely audible between them and Jason rubbed his fingers gently over Tim’s back. 

His mind threatened to latch onto the idea of Tim sparring again and what that would lead to. He knew he couldn’t keep him from patrolling, but he didn’t want to risk Tim getting hurt again so soon. He’d been trying to hunt down any werewolves that still might be around from the pack that had tried to move in, but he hadn’t had any luck and he didn’t want to risk Tim falling into any other encounters with them. 

He shut his eyes, hoping he could convince his brain to calm down enough to let him get a few hours of stress free sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

Jason breathed in sharply. He felt warm and content and something smelled delicious. He blinked his eyes open and looked down, finding Tim snuggled into his chest. His lips were parted on even breaths and his hands were wrapped tightly in Jason’s shirt. 

Jason smiled and ducked his head, pressing a kiss to the side of Tim’s head. Tim’s lips pulled into a smile and he breathed out a laugh. Jason traced his lips down Tim’s cheek and he turned his head further into his pillow. He blinked his eyes open and looked up at Jason, smiling wide. 

“Morning,” Jason murmured, nosing at his neck. He breathed Tim in and realized what he’d been smelling that morning and the night before had been Tim’s contentment and happiness. Things had been tentative when he’d first told Tim about being a werewolf and then everything with the other pack had happened, but things finally seemed to be working out. 

“Spar?” Tim asked. 

Jason sighed. “Of course that would be the first thing you ask for in the morning. You don’t even think about breakfast.” 

“I just really want to spar,” Tim pouted. “I’ve been cooped up for so long.” 

“I know, I know,” Jason said. He brushed a strand of hair out of Tim’s face. “Let’s have breakfast and some coffee and we can head to the Cave. We’ll have more space and equipment there and we won’t have to keep things civil for everyone else.” 

“Yes!” Tim cheered and practically jumped from the bed and ran to the kitchen. 

Jason sighed and pulled himself from bed. He ran a hand through his hair and shuffled from the bedroom. Tim was happily prepping the coffee maker for his morning cup. As he made a move to rush past Jason, Jason stuck an arm out and caught Tim around the waist, stopping him for a minute. He pressed his lips to Tim’s for a deep good-morning kiss that had Tim’s arms wrapping around his shoulders. 

~~

The Cave was empty when Jason’s motorcycle roared inside. Tim’s grip tightened around his waist as they came to a stop before he practically leapt from the back of the bike. 

Jason put down the kickstand and stood, swinging his leg over the bike. He took Tim’s helmet and stored both of them under the seat. When he turned around, Tim was across the Cave to the sparring mats, his shoes and socks discarded at the edge. 

Tim started to stretch and Jason admired his form as he crossed the floor, kicking off his own shoes next to Tim’s and pulling off his socks. The mats were cold against his feet, but he knew that wouldn’t be a problem soon enough. 

“So are you thinking hand to hand or do you want to use a staff?” Jason asked as he joined Tim and started stretching and warming up his muscles. 

Tim smirked. “I think we can do some hand to hand today. As much as I want to get back to using a staff, I think it’ll be that much better to kick your ass with only my hands.” 

Jason raised an eyebrow. “You’re sounding pretty confident for someone who’s been stuck on the couch for a couple weeks.” 

Tim’s grin was sharp. “I know all of your weak points, Jay.” 

“We’ll see about that,” he said. He backed up several steps, putting distance between them. He pulled his hoodie over his head, leaving himself shirtless and Tim did the same except he had a tight tank underneath his. 

Jason settled into a wide stance, raising his hands, one of them remained open as his other hand formed a fist. Tim made two fists and copied the stance, keeping his weight low even as it was shifted forward onto the balls of his feet if he needed to move quickly. 

Jason took a minute to eye him before he rushed forward. Tim ducked the first blow and aimed a punch at Jason’s side. He twisted away from the hit and aimed a blow with his elbow for Tim’s shoulder. Tim ducked, dropping his hands to the mat so he could kick out with his leg at Jason’s chin. 

Jason caught his foot and gripped his ankle, flipping him onto his back so he hit the mat. 

“I think that’s one point for me,” Jason said with a grin. 

“Don’t speak too soon,” Tim said. The position was awkward, but he used his free leg to get under Jason’s feet. It wasn’t a clean sweep, but it was enough to make Jason stumble and loosen his grip on Tim’s ankle enough he could pull free from the grasp. 

Jason regained his balance quickly and made a move to immobilize Tim again, but he rolled out of the way, pushing himself back to his feet and readied his fists. Jason kept his hands at his sides and stalked forward. It reminded Tim of an animal hunting its prey and the idea wasn’t so unappealing. 

Jason froze, nostrils flaring. His eyes roved over Tim’s form and he shivered at the look. 

“Master Timothy and Master Jason!” 

Alfred’s voice broke through their thoughts and they turned to find him at the edge of the mat, his hands clasped behind his back. 

“It’s nice to see the two of you have returned and I’m glad you’re back on your feet,” he continued. “You should’ve told us you were coming and I could’ve prepared something for your arrival.” 

“That’s alright, Alfred,” Tim said, dropping his stance. “We just came to spar.” 

“Well, I hope that is not all and you’ll join us for lunch. I’m sure Master Bruce would be more than happy to see you and see how well you are.” 

“Sure, Alfred,” Jason added. “We can come up after we finish sparring. 

He nodded. “I’ll go grab some water for the two of you for when you’re finished. Enjoy the rest of your training,” he said before turning and walking off. 

The tension that was between them had broken. Tim smirked and Jason grinned. They both raised their fists again before they charged each other, ready to continue their spar for the moment.


	20. Chapter 20

Jason was in the Cave strapping a couple of extra daggers onto his thighs when Dick walked up. Tim was on the opposite end of the Cave. He had most of the pieces of his Red Robin uniform on, but what was going through his utility belt and restocking anything that was running low from his last patrol so many nights ago. 

Dick clapped a hand on his shoulder, making him scowl. “Glad to see that you’ve finally pulled out of your overprotective haze,” he said. “I was starting to get worried the Were was taking over and you weren’t going to come back to yourself.” 

“What are you talking about?” he asked, trying to shrug off the hold. 

“I’m talking about when you practically perched on the edge of Tim’s bed and hissed at anyone who came close. I thought you were closer to a cat than a Were,” he said with a chuckle. 

“What the fuck are you going about? I didn’t do that!” he scoffed. 

“Oh really? Why don’t you check the surveillance footage,” he said, turning towards the computer. “I think there’s pretty good chunk of time where you were squatting on the hospital bed. Might’ve even cleaned yourself a couple of times for good measure…”

Jason put a hand on his arm and stopped him from doing anything he’d largely regret seeing. “No, Dick stop.” He threw an arm around his shoulders and pulled Dick against his side. He glanced over at Tim at the opposite side of the Cave, but he was still focused on his work. “I don’t remember that happening.” 

Dick grinned. “Oh, Jason. Poor, poor, baby Were Jason. There are so many things you don’t know about being a Were and it’s starting to become such a wonderful thing. You know, I was pretty worried at first, but I think this is the most amusement I’ve had in a while.” 

“Shut it. Yes, I’m not the most experienced at being a Were, but just tell me what happened.” 

“I think it was somewhere during the first night Tim was in medical,” he mused, scratching his chin. “You were pretty exhausted and from what I can tell, the Were took over to let your mind rest and because it didn’t have much self-control, its actions were based around instinct and the need to protect. Hence, the hissing.” 

Jason sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. “You’re never going to let this go are you?” he asked. 

“Nope!” Dick said brightly. He ducked and slipped out of Jason’s hold, bounding across the Cave. “Hey Timmy, you want to see something hilarious?” 

“No!” Jason said, chasing after him. 

Tim looked up, his brow furrowing. “What?” he asked. 

“Do you want to know what Jason did while you were knocked unconscious after the Were attack?” Dick asked, evading the grabs Jason made to shut him up. 

“You mean the fact he perched at the edge of my bed while I was out and growled at anyone who even stepped into the Cave? Yeah, I watched those video logs like a week ago,” he said, glancing at Jason with a smirk. 

“Wait, you knew?” Jason asked, mouth hanging open. 

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “Was I not supposed to?” 

“ _I_ didn’t know,” Jason muttered. 

Dick’s shoulders sagged and he grumbled under his breath before walking off, sad he’d lost the opportunity to embarrass Jason further. 

Tim’s smirk softened into a smile when he looked back at Jason. “I don’t mind that it happened if that’s what you’re worried about.” 

“I’d be worried. It’s kind of weird.” 

Tim shrugged. “Our whole lives are weird. We’re vigilantes. You’re a werewolf. I think this can easily fall somewhere on the scale of normal, everyday weird that happens in our lives.” 

Jason sighed, his shoulders sagging. “Well next time you need saving, don’t expect me to come. I wouldn’t want my Were to get in the way.” 

“Oh, you’ll come,” Tim said as he turned to walk off. “If it’s not because of your own desire, than the Were would definitely force you to.“

He sighed again, because Were or not, he really would go save Tim.


	21. Chapter 21

Jason hovered at the edge of the rooftop was standing on. Tim breathed in deeply, smelling the smog and pollution that was characteristic of their city. It had been too long since he’d last gotten to look over the city at night. Even though Gotham didn’t exactly change at night, there was something about it that did. Something that morphed into something more dangerous. Almost as though the city was alive beneath them. 

His cape flapped gently in the breeze and the air was damp from the rain that had passed through earlier that day. 

“Are you sure you’re ready to be back on patrol?” Jason asked from his perch. 

Tim checked the huff that wanted to slip out, but didn’t bother fighting off the exasperated roll of his eyes since Jason wouldn’t be able to see them behind the mask. He’d been asking the same questions all day, wanting to make sure he was okay to go out and patrol and that he wasn’t feeling weak or sore from sparring. He’d managed to get through the whole day without snapping at Jason, but his overprotective instincts were starting to wear on him now that he was finally on the edges of a rooftop again. 

“I’m going to be fine, Hood. Maybe you should be the one who stays inside since you’re so insistent on it.” 

“Nope,” he said. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Let’s go.” 

“Okay, on one condition,” Tim said. “You can stay with me for a couple hours, but as long as I’m doing fine, that’s all. You need to take care of your own routes and there’s no reason for the two of us to patrol together.” 

“But-” he started. 

“I’m serious,” Tim said. 

“Fine,” Jason grumbled. 

“Good,” Tim said. He grinned and fired his grapple, jumping from the roof. His grin stretched wider as the line pulled taught above his head and he swung over to the next building over. Jason followed close behind him and Tim let all of his exasperation and previous annoyances fall away for the moment. 

He sprinted across the rooftops, feeling each movement of his muscles and legs as he pushed himself forward. It was a thrill to be back on the roofs even if Jason insisted on staying with him for the moment. He couldn’t blame him, but he was ready to go stir-crazy with how long he had to wait to be fully healed. 

Tim glanced down in alleys as he darted passed, checking to make sure there weren’t any muggings or other crimes in progress. It was early so things were still quiet, but his blood was buzzing for something. He wanted to get in at least one punch or a kick before the night was up. Even better if he got to use his bo to fight off an attacker or stop a robbery. 

The fact that he was desperate for some crime to happen probably wasn’t the healthiest reaction to have, but it was probably only one of the things that could get him sent to a mental institution if they were ever revealed to a specialist. 

A scream broke the air and Tim grinned, quickly changing course to find the source of the action. Jason pulled up even with him as they ran across rooftops to where they needed to be. 

Tim barely took a moment to assess the situation in a back alley parking lot before he dove from the roof, using his line to swing down and land in a crouch at the edge of the parking lot. A man was holding a woman by her long blond hair. The car door, he suspected the vehicle belonged to the woman, was hanging open and a purse was overturned on the ground. 

The man had a gun to her head and was grinning wickedly as tears streaked down the woman’s face. Tim was glad she wasn’t a noisy crier. He didn’t need the sound shortening the patience of the man holding her at gunpoint. Especially, when he was about to disrupt whatever plan he had. 

“Put down your weapon,” Tim said as Jason landed behind him. 

The man swung around to face them. “Take another step and a bullet goes in her head,” he growled. 

She gasped and looked at them with pleading eyes. Tim’s eyes scanned the area around them. The windows that faced the parking lot were dark or had curtains drawn so there was no possibility of another assailant or someone witnessing what was occurring. 

Tim took a deep breath and took a tentative step forward. The gunman flinched and swung his gun around towards him. 

“I mean it!” he said, the barest hint of desperation creeping into his voice. 

Tim suspected he wasn’t experienced in this kind of thing. His fingers itched for his bo and he readied himself for the attack when a snarl sounded behind him. The gunman yelped and flinched, finger twitching on the trigger as the barrel moved away from Tim. 

Jason rushed in front of Tim even as the shot went wide, his growl deepening. 

“Fucking-” Tim started, pulling his bo from his belt. Jason closed the distance between himself and the gunman and hostage in the blink of an eye even as the woman screamed again. 

The man tried to aim the gun at Jason, but it was smacked from his hand before he could do anything. It skidded far out of reach. The woman struggled against his hold and he let her go, hoping to turn and run from Jason, but he grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him to the ground. 

“Are you going to be alright?” Tim asked, intercepting the woman before she could go screeching off and possibly get herself into more trouble. 

She wrapped her arms around herself and nodded, taking a step back from Tim. 

“The cops will be here soon,” he added, sending the signal and location for any available units. “They’ll take care of you.” 

She nodded again and Tim collapsed his bo with a flick of his wrist, hooking it back on his belt. The gunman was on his stomach on the pavement, hands bound behind his back. Jason’s breathing slowed, the growl having already died off. 

With a huff, Tim fired his grapple to the roof and was pulled from the ground. He knew Jason would follow and Tim crossed his arms, facing Jason as he landed behind him. 

“I can’t believe you!” he exploded before Jason could say anything.

“I-what?” Jason asked, freezing. 

“I can’t believe you rushed in like that. I was handling it.” 

“But, I-he turned a gun on you,” Jason stammered. 

“Yeah, and if you’ll remember, that’s part of the job. I would’ve been fine!” 

“But what if you weren’t?” Jason asked. 

“You know what this job is like,” Tim said. “I can and will get hurt again, but that doesn’t mean you get to use yourself as a shield to protect me from everything.” 

He turned on his heel and ran for the edge of the rooftop, not caring what kind of reply or excuse Jason was going to give him. He was going to handle the rest of his patrol by himself since Jason didn’t have enough self-control to handle him being back out in the field otherwise.


	22. Chapter 22

Jason rolled onto his back on the floor of his apartment. He could feel the drops of sweat that were rolling down the side of his head even though he had the air conditioning turned all the way up and as cold as he was willing to make it. He almost felt like he was going to start panting in order to try and keep cool from the heat that had rolled into Gotham and if that didn’t make him feel more like a dog than his transformations did, then he didn’t know what would. Unless he suddenly got the urge to chase cars or play fetch. 

The front door opened and he caught Tim’s scent as he walked through the door. He could smell the sweat on him and he didn’t doubt that if Tim could smell him, he would be smelling the same thing. 

“Jay?” Tim asked. 

“In here.” He groaned, trying to sit up before he decided it wasn’t worth it and thumped back down on the floor, hoping it would keep him from sweating as little as possible. 

Tim came into view behind the couch and Jason could see his hair was stuck to his forehead. He pushed it back and it slicked out of his face, his sweat keeping it practically plastered to the top of his head. 

“You look like an exhausted and overheated dog,” Tim said with a smile. 

“That’s because I am. And you pretty much look the same as I do,” Jason shot back. 

Tim shrugged. “That’s because it’s awful outside and whether you believe it or not, coming in here was a relief.” 

“We’re supposed to have temperatures like this for the next week. How are we going to survive?” 

Tim smiled and raised a plastic bag. “Ice cream. Lots and lots of ice cream. And no patrolling. Dressing in kevlar is the last thing I want to do in this weather and I’m pretty sure all of Gotham’s underbelly feels the same way. The temps don’t even seem to let up after the sun goes down.” 

“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” Jason sighed, finally sitting up. 

“I could afford to hear it a few more times,” Tim said with a smile. “You find a movie to watch and I’ll grab some spoons.” 

Jason (reluctantly) pushed himself from the floor and walked over to their shelves of movies. He looked through what they had, steering clear of all of the summer films. He didn’t need to emulate the weather outside and make it seem any hotter than it was. He finally settled on some Christmas film if it meant not having to deal with signs of warmer weather. 

He slipped it into the dvd player and grabbed the remote, sitting down on the floor instead of the couch in the hopes of keeping himself cooler. Tim sat down next to him, far enough so they weren’t touching and couldn’t feel each other’s body heat. Normally, Jason wouldn’t like the space between them, but with how hot it was, he’d sit on the opposite side of the apartment if it meant staying cooler. He’d be able to smell Tim either way as it was. 

“A Christmas movie?” Tim asked, passing him one of the pints of ice cream as the title screen came up. 

Jason wrapped the container in his hands, letting the cold seep into his hands as the perspiration covered his palms. “Thought it would do us some good. Give us a little Christmas in July.” 

Tim handed him a spoon and huffed a laugh. “Not sure we need the Christmas part as much as the weather that goes along with it.” 

Jason pulled off the lid to his ice cream and stuck his spoon into the heat softened ice cream, careful not to let any of the melted vanilla drip over the edge onto his hands. “Maybe if we’re lucky, Mr. Freeze is going to pay us a visit and can cool things off.”

“That’s definitely something I wouldn’t mind,” Tim muttered as the movie began to play. “Although, his ice might turn into water and Gotham would be turned into Atlantis.” 

“I still wouldn’t mind,” Jason said and scooped up another bite of ice cream, finally feeling his body temperature start to come down. He sighed and leaned back more fully against the couch, splaying his legs out in front of him. He saw Tim do the same out of the corner of his eye. 

He felt a nudge against the side of his foot and glanced down to find Tim’s pinky toe pressed up against his. Jason smiled and nudged him back, feeling pleased despite the heat.


	23. Chapter 23

Jason climbed through the window of his apartment and inhaled deeply. He caught the old traces of Tim’s scent from earlier that day, but he wasn’t anywhere in his apartment. He sighed and pulled of his helmet, shuffling across the floor to his bedroom. 

He wanted nothing more than to strip and dump his uniform on the floor and fall into bed, but he knew if he did that, he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he crawled out of bed and put it away. He could focus on cleaning it after he woke up and he couldn’t even find it in himself to consider a shower, let alone take one. 

Jason pulled on a pair of boxers and fell into bed, trying to curl on his side and find comfort before he sighed and rolled onto his back, arms splayed out at his sides. 

His and Tim’s scents mingled around him and it made his heart ache in his chest. He’d only been apart from Tim for a short while, but he was desperate to have him back. The Were inside of him was anxious, needing his mate and unable to rest easy without him by his side. What if he needed him? What if Tim got into trouble? 

“Jesus Christ,” Jason groaned and sat up in bed, burying his head in his hands. He wasn’t going to let himself be at the mercy of the beast inside of him. Tim was already angry because he couldn’t let him patrol on his own. He rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes and let them drop so he was staring at his palms. 

“Fuck it all,” he said and pushed himself out of bed. He quickly pulled a shirt from his dresser before dropping it to the floor. He stepped back and closed his eyes, searching for the Were inside of him. He’d never tried shifting without the full moon, but now was as good a time to try as any. 

A surge passed through him, the Were rising up. His body tingled and shifted. Jason winced and let out a noise of shock and pain which morphed into a yelp halfway through. He opened his eyes when he felt his weight shift and found himself staring at the front of his dresser. 

His lips pulled to the side, showing his canines. Jason padded through his apartment, footfalls sounding unnatural in his other form. He hurried to his window and nosed at the latch, flicking it open before he pushed against it. 

The window swung open and he hopped out, landing with a soft ring on the metal of the fire escape. He pressed the window closed behind him and hurried down the stairs, hitting the street at a run. 

He sniffed the air, searching for Tim’s scent. He was surprised when he caught it. The smell was at least an hour old and he knew he wouldn’t have been able to detect it if he was a human. He kept to the shadows, running along and avoiding any people who stepped out on the street. 

Tim’s scent became stronger and fresher, leading him through the streets of Gotham and he was pleased that Tim hadn’t headed back to the Manor after everything that happened. 

He paused at the edge of Tim’s apartment building. He could see the light in the window. He climbed up the fire escape carefully, finding he was unable to keep silent on the stairs. If Tim was paying attention, he would no doubt hear it, but no one appeared at the window as he climbed. 

Jason reached Tim’s floor and looked through the window. Tim was sitting on the couch inside, spooning something into his mouth. He was wearing sweats and a tee and had his legs pulled up on the couch. 

He pawed at the window, letting out a low whine. Tim froze at the sound and looked over at him, spoon hanging from his mouth. His eyes widened and he stood, leaving his food on the coffee table as he walked over and undid the latches. 

“What-” Tim started as Jason jumped inside with a soft thump. “Jason?” Tim asked. 

Jason closed his eyes and focused again, fighting the Were out of his system as he felt himself change back. He blinked his eyes open and found Tim staring at him, lips parted. He looked down and found his boxers were still intact. 

“What are you doing here?” Tim asked. 

“I’m sorry, Tim,” he sighed. “I’m sorry about earlier. You were right and I was being stupid and overprotective and I just…will you come home?” 

Tim’s shock softened into a smile. He stepped forward and pushed up on his toes, pressing a kiss to Jason’s lips. When he pulled away Jason frowned at the sweet taste and licked his lips.

“What are you eating?” he asked. 

“Some watermelon sorbet that Alfred left in my freezer,” he said. He walked back over to the couch and picked it up. “Did you want to stay here instead of going back across Gotham?” he asked, looking over his shoulder. 

“Sure,” Jason said. 

Tim nodded. “You can go get in bed while I put this away.” 

Jason’s gaze stayed on him for a minute before he pulled himself away and walked into Tim’s bedroom. He pulled the covers back of the made bed and crawled under the blanket. 

The light from the main room shut off before Tim walked through the door. He slid under the covers and Jason reached for him, pulling him against his chest. He buried his nose in his neck, breathing him in. He relaxed, the Were inside of him settled and comforted now that he was with his mate again.


	24. Chapter 24

Tim felt movement behind him on the bed. The arm was tight around his stomach. “Jay, go back to sleep,” he mumbled. 

“Tim…” 

Tim’s eyes flew open. Jason’s voice was low and gravelly. He registered the harsh pants that filled the air around them. He turned in Jason’s hold, Jason reluctantly loosening his grip. 

Jason was curled up, his knees drawn close to his chest. His cheeks were flushed a deep red and Tim could see the sweat already beaded on his forehead. 

“Jason are you okay?” Tim asked, cradling Jason’s face in his hands. 

“It hurts.” 

Tim pulled out of Jason’s grip and sat up on his knees. He pushed Jason onto his back. Jason kept his knees up against his chest. 

“What hurts?” Tim asked. “Do you need to go to the hospital?” 

Jason shook his head and shuddered as Tim’s hands ran down his chest and arms. “Fuck,” he hissed. 

“Talk to me, Jay,” Tim said. He bit his lip. He was starting to get worried. He gripped Jason’s legs, hoping to guide them back down to the bed. Jason was reluctant to move at first, but let himself be handled. 

His pants got worse as he was laid out on the bed. Tim’s breath caught as he saw the outline of Jason’s cock straining against his boxer briefs. The fabric around the head was soaked through. 

Tim swallowed and reached out with careful fingers. Jason stared down at him, he trailed his fingers up Jason’s cock and Jason shook underneath him. 

“Please, Tim…” he said. “Please.” 

Tim swallowed and nodded. He grabbed the edge of Jason’s boxer briefs and lifted, pulling them down his thighs. He could already feel himself stirring in his shorts at the sight of Jason laid out on his bed, hard and wanting. He wrapped a careful hand around Jason’s dick, making his thighs shake. 

He stroked him, spreading the come to slick his cock and hand. Jason dug his head back in the pillow and arched against the bed as he came. Tim worked him through it, but frowned when his erection didn’t go down at all. 

Jason shuddered and gasped against the sheets. “Fuck,” he cursed. 

“What do you need, Jason?” he asked, reaching up to stroke his clean hand through Jason’s sweaty hair. 

Jason looked at him, staring with black eyes. “Fuck me,” he said. “I need…god, Tim, I need it. Need you.” 

Tim nodded. He ducked his head and pressed a kiss to Jason’s lips. He shuffled back and shoved at his boxers, pushing them down his thighs until he could kick them off. 

He nudged Jason’s thighs apart, settling between them. He reached for the bedside table and pulled open the drawer, grabbing the bottle of lube. He dribbled some over his fingers and reached between Jason’s legs, pressing his first finger inside. The slide was easy and Tim’s eyes went wide as Jason accepted him easily. 

Tim pressed a second finger in, meeting little resistance. Jason sighed and pressed down on his fingers, unconsciously fucking himself on them slowly. Tim pressed in a third finger as Jason thrust down. He curled the edges of his fingers, drawing a gasp from Jason. 

Jason squeezed his eyes shut and worked himself on Tim’s fingers. Tim moved, meeting him thrust for thrust and a groan pulled from Jason’s chest. Jason arched his back, angling his hips down as he came again. Tim worked him through it, watching as more come painted across what was already starting to dry. 

“You ready?” Tim asked when he saw Jason’s cock still wasn’t softening. 

Jason nodded. 

Tim pulled out his fingers and poured lube into his hand, stroking his cock a few times. He gripped the back of Jason’s thighs and positioned himself at his entrance. He looked over Jason’s sweaty and flushed form. He saw the desperation in his eyes and Tim swallowed, wondering just how much Jason was feeling where he could be this desperate. But he would be too, if his cock wasn’t softening after coming twice. 

Tim pressed into Jason. Going slow until he bottomed out. Jason was tight around him, but there was no resistance. Jason’s legs wrapped around his waist, ankles hooked at his lower back. 

Tim pulled his hips back until he was almost all the way out before he snapped his hips, thrusting back into Jason. Jason sighed, hands clutching the pillow under his head. Tim repeated the motion, pausing before he worked up to a consistent rhythm. 

Jason tightened around him and groaned. He opened his mouth on a sigh and started babbling. 

“Feel so good, god, I want you to fill me, Tim. Feel you inside me. Feel your come inside me. I want you to fill me up, give me a knot…” 

Tim’s hips stuttered over the word knot. “I don’t think I can give you that, Jay,” he grunted. 

Jason hummed, eyes struggling to focus on him. 

“I’m not a werewolf,” he explained. “Don’t have a knot.” 

Jason stared at him for a minute before he squeezed his eyes shut. “Shit,” he hissed. 

Tim grit his teeth. Even though he couldn’t knot Jason, he was going to make this the best time Jason had in bed. He moved Jason’s legs over his shoulders and snapped his hips. Jason gasped, pressing back into the mattress. 

Tim could feel the sweat sliding down his face, but he wasn’t going to stop. “Touch yourself for me, Jason,” he said. “I want to see it.” 

Jason tightened around him, but he reached out, wrapping a hand around his cock. He started stroking in time with his thrusts. Tim felt his own stomach tighten and knew he would be on the edge soon enough, but he was going to make Jason come first. Had to. 

Tim quickened his pace. He could feel Jason shaking around him, his hand getting sloppy on himself. Tim reached forward and replaced his hand. Jason let his hand fall away, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to make his mouth work around something that wasn’t a gasp for air. 

Jason tightened around him and Tim fought to thrust harder and deeper as his own thighs started to burn. Jason arched his back and sucked in a breath. There was a moment where the world seemed to stop between breaths. Where the drop of sweat stopped as it slid down Tim’s cheek. 

The tension broke and the world jumped into motion. Jason came hard against his chest. He tightened around Tim and he groaned, coming inside of Jason as he fought to keep moving inside of him. 

Jason went boneless underneath him, his cock finally softening. Tim let out a breath, carefully sliding out of Jason with a shudder. He gently lowered Jason’s legs to the bed and crawled over him, placing a kiss to his lips. 

“Better?” he asked. 

Jason looked up at him, exhaustion filling his eyes. He nodded. “Thanks.” 

Tim smiled. “Come on. Let’s get you a bath so you can get cleaned up.” 

Jason nodded and Tim climbed off the bed. He helped Jason stand. Jason ducked his head and gave Tim another kiss, long and slow. Tim smiled and they shuffled towards the bathroom.


	25. Chapter 25

The day had started out normal like any other, but as the hour crawled into the afternoon, Jason started to feel off. He wasn’t exactly sure what it meant. He didn’t feel sick and wasn’t sexually aroused, as embarrassing as that had been to wake up to the week before, even if Tim was relaxed and understanding about it. 

His stomach was tight and he didn’t have much of an appetite. His apartment felt too cramped and he was glad Tim was away for the afternoon, because he would’ve been worried that having another person in his space, even if it was his mate, would’ve made him more anxious. 

Most of the afternoon was spent pacing circles around his apartment. 

He growled and ran his hands through his hair when it wasn’t enough anymore. He hurried over to the window and pushed through it, sprinting up the metal steps to the roof. 

Jason spun in a circle, taking in the city around him. He sucked in a deep breath, feeling more at ease now that he was in a wide open space. He threw out his arms and turned in another circle, feeling the breeze blow around him. 

He sniffed, pausing when he realized the smells of the city seemed sharper than normal. He caught whiffs of pizza and coffee. There was the sweat of people and their nervousness. Anxiety and car exhaust. He wrinkled his nose when he realized one of the more pungent smells was a dog marking its territory. 

“What the hell?” he muttered. He only had such good senses when he was in his wolf form. 

He heard the door of his apartment push open even though he was several floors up and nearly tripped over his feet. He smelled Tim and relaxed. 

“Jason?!” 

The panic in Tim’s voice and his scent sent him reeling. He charged for the metal fire escape and jumped from floor to floor, clearing the stairs completely until he landed on the level even with his floor, chest heaving as he peered through the still open window. 

Tim stared at him with wide eyes. “What are you doing?” he asked. 

Jason shrugged and slipped through the window. 

“And why aren’t you wearing shoes?” 

Jason froze and looked down, finding his feet bare on the carpet. “I…I don’t know,” he said. “I guess I forgot about them. I just…I couldn’t stay in here. It was too cramped and I’ve felt off all day and I don’t know what’s going on, Tim…” 

Tim hummed, brow furrowing. He pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped something on the screen before he relaxed. “I think it’s because the full moon.” 

“The…what?” Jason asked. 

“The full moon is tonight. You’re probably feeling off and anxious because the shift is coming.” 

“Shit,” Jason said and scrubbed his hands over his face. “I didn’t even realize it was here.” 

“What are you going to do?” 

“I need to get out of the city. Get to the woods on the outskirts of Gotham.“

Tim nodded. “I’m going to need a tent and food.” 

“What? You’re not coming with me…” 

Tim raised an eyebrow. “Of course I am. I’m not going to leave you out there all alone. Not when it’s the full moon and you could be less coherent than usual. If you get into trouble I won’t know if I’m back here. Besides,” he said with a sharp grin. “I have to make sure you don’t get too friendly with any other wolves.” 

Something unraveled in Jason’s stomach at the words. Even though Tim probably meant it in more of a teasing way than anything else, the hint of possessiveness in the statement made the Were purr happily in his chest. He closed the distance between them and wrapped an arm around Tim’s waist, pulling him against his chest. 

“So, you’re coming with me then?” Jason asked. 

“You better believe it.” 

Jason smiled and ducked his head, pressing their lips together. 

“Time for that later,” Tim said, pulling out of the kiss. “I need to get packed and don’t have much time to do it if we want to get out of the city before nightfall.” 

~~

Jason’s anxiousness got worse the closer it got to sunset. He was jittery during the car ride and paced around Tim as he set up his little campsite. 

“You have the tranqs, right?” Jason asked as Tim stoked the fire in front of his tent. 

“Yes, I have the darts, but I doubt I’m going to need them.” 

“I just…I don’t know what’s going to happen as soon as I shift and I want to make sure you’re not harmed.” 

Tim stood and walked over to him where he was hovering on the edge of Tim’s campsite. He cradled Jason’s face between his palms and tugged him down for a kiss. 

“You’re not going to hurt me. I’m going to be fine. You just need to make sure you don’t hurt yourself and you get back here in the morning so you can rest before the next night.” 

Jason nodded and wrapped his arms around Tim’s waist, squeezing him tightly in a hug. Tim rubbed his back and Jason shuddered. 

“You okay?” he asked. 

He nodded and pulled back. “Yeah, I think…I think it’s coming soon.” 

“I’ll be over here if you need me,” Tim said, walking back to the chair and his fire. He sat down and poked at the fire, giving Jason a smile when he looked in his direction. He glanced up at the sky that was turning a deep purple. 

He heard Jason gasp and immediately looked down to make sure he was okay. Jason was shaking, arms wrapped around himself. Tim could see him grit his teeth and stumble, arms bracing himself against the ground to stop his body from falling. He watched as fur sprouted from his arms and his nails elongated. 

His face morphed, a snarl sounding from his throat as the rest of his body started to shift. Faster than Tim would’ve thought possible, Jason was no longer human and instead was a black wolf with a with patch on its forehead, standing where his human self used to be. 

Tim swallowed when Jason turned to look at him, eyes glinting in the low light of the fire. 

“Jason?” he asked. 

The wolf started stalking forward towards him and Tim had to resist the urge to run or grab the tranquilizer darts. This was Jason. Jason wasn’t going to hurt him. As terrifying as he looked as a giant wolf. 

“Jay-Jason…” he stuttered as he got closer. 

The wolf stopped in front of him, sticking its snout closer to Tim as it sniffed. Hot breath fanned over Tim’s face and he resisted the urge to wipe a hand over his cheek. His lips pulled back to reveal long canines and Tim’s eyes went wide. 

A long tongue darted out and licked a stripe up his cheek. 

“Ugh, Jason!” he said, scrubbing at his face. 

The wolf panted happily, tail wagging as it nuzzled against Tim and licked his face again. Tim chuckled and wrapped his hands around Jason’s neck, scratching his fingers through the fur. He pressed a kiss to the side of Jason’s head. 

“See? I knew you wouldn’t hurt me,” he murmured. 

Jason licked Tim’s cheek again and Tim pulled back. He cradled Jason’s long face in his hands and looked in his eyes even as Jason’s tongue darted out to try and lick him again. 

“Go do what you need to do. I’ll be here when you get back.” 

Tim scratched through Jason’s fur once more before he sat back in his chair. Jason looked at him uncertainly for a moment, head cocked to the side. Tim smiled at him and waited, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before something caught Jason’s attention and he took off into the trees, bounding across the sticks and leaves before disappearing from Tim’s sight.


	26. Chapter 26

Tim pushed out of his tent and stretched his arms over his head in the early morning light. His back popped in several places from sleeping in such a cramped space and on unforgiving ground. 

He sighed and let his shoulders sag. He hadn’t gotten the best sleep either because he was missing a certain warm-bodied and cuddly boyfriend who was out for the night. 

He slowly went about starting a new fire so he could make breakfast when he heard the bushes rustle at the edge of his camp. He tensed and slowly reached for the hunting knife he’d brought with him. 

Jason stumbled from the trees and he relaxed. Jason was back in human form, staring around blearily and looking exhausted. 

“Jason,” Tim called catching his attention. 

He jolted and turned towards him, eyes finally focusing. He staggered over and wrapped his arms around Tim’s form, sagging against him. 

“I’m making breakfast if you’re hungry. You can go sleep if you need it,” he said, rubbing a hand over Jason’s arm. 

Jason made a noise in the back of his throat and squeezed him tighter. “You. Bed. Me,” he said, shortly. 

“Jason…” 

Jason squeezed him tighter and Tim sighed. “Okay, I think I have a granola bar around here somewhere that I can eat.” 

Digging through his bags proved to be difficult as Jason refused to let him go. He finally found one at the bottom of his bag and sighed. Tim walked over to the tent, Jason shuffling behind him and pulled open the zipper. He carefully stepped out of his shoes and into the tent to keep too much dirt from being tracked inside. 

Jason practically collapsed onto the sleeping bag, pulling Tim down with him. Tim smiled as Jason’s arms wrapped around his stomach and he threw a leg over Tim’s thighs. He fell asleep almost immediately, snoring softly behind him. 

Tim pulled open the wrapper of his granola bar and ate in the silence. 

* * *

Tim managed to sleep a little throughout the day as Jason did. More than once, he fought to extricate himself from Jason’s limbs, always waking him up because as soon as Tim left the tent to go to the bathroom, Jason’s Were side noticed his absence. 

Jason groaned behind him and finally relaxed his grip so he could roll onto his back. 

“Finally awake?” Tim asked, rolling over onto his stomach and propping his chin in his fist. 

Jason rubbed at his eyes and looked at him. “Yeah. I still feel exhausted though.” 

Tim ducked his head and pressed a kiss to Jason’s lips. “It’s only another night though, right?” 

Jason nodded sluggishly. 

“And then we can get home and be back in our own bed.” 

Jason smiled and Tim sat up, crossing his legs. “Are you hungry? Did you eat anything last night?” 

“I think so? I’m not too sure, honestly. It was a little bit of a blur.” 

“You hungry for s’mores? I brought the stuff.” 

“Sure.” 

Tim grinned and pulled open the tent zipper. He stuck his feet out and shoved them into his shoes before awkwardly pushing himself up to stand. He resumed what he’d been doing that morning and started building a new fire. 

The sun was low in the sky and Tim thought they only had a couple hours before Jason shifted back, if that. 

Jason managed to crawl out of the tent by the time he had a good blaze going. It was warm and Tim hadn’t realized the chill that was clinging to the air. He shivered and zipped up his jacket, hoping to trap some body heat inside. 

He pulled the package of marshmallows free and pulled it open, spearing it with a stick before resting it over the flames to start toasting. Jason sat on the log next to Tim’s chair and dug through his food bag, pulling out the graham crackers and the chocolate. 

Jason prepped his own stick with a marshmallow and started toasting it next to Tim’s. 

The forest played its tune around them, the leaves rustled in the breeze as birds chirped and insects sang. It was nice, and sharing it with Jason made his chest warm. 

When their marshmallows looked dangerously close to falling off their sticks, they pulled them from the fire. Jason passed a graham cracker and chunk of chocolate to Tim. He pressed his melting marshmallow to the chocolate and used his finger to hold it in place so he could pull his stick free. Jason handed him another graham cracker and Tim topped off his sandwich. 

“Cheers,” Jason said, holding out his s’more. 

Tim smiled. “Cheers,” he said, tapping his snack to Jason’s before taking a bite.


	27. Chapter 27

Tim watched Jason out of the corner of his eye as he drove back to Gotham. He’d stumbled back to his camp in the early hours of the morning and had wanted to curl up and sleep, but Tim had insisted they pack up and get back so Jason could sleep in an actual bed while he recovered from the full moon. 

His head was resting against the car window, his eyes closed as he slept. The streets were quiet in Gotham, only a few people out as the sun started to rise in the distance. 

Tim turned the corner to his apartment and slowed as he descended into the underground parking garage, keeping the movement of the car gentle so as not to disturb Jason until he absolutely had to. 

He rolled into a parking space and shut off the car, looking over at Jason. 

“Jason,” he said, voice low. He didn’t move, staying still in his seat. “Jason,” he repeated more firmly. 

Jason’s brow furrowed and Tim placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking gently. Jason groaned. 

“Jason, wake up. We’re back home.” 

“Home?” he asked, voice thick. 

“Yeah. Let’s go upstairs and you can get in bed.” 

Jason sluggishly raised his head, looking at Tim with bleary eyes and nodded. 

Tim climbed out of the car and walked around to Jason’s side as he fumbled with the handle and struggled to push it open. 

“Come on,” Tim said, pulling the door open. He grabbed Jason’s arm and helped him from the car. Jason sagged against him and Tim chuckled, pulling his arm around his shoulder as he shut the car door and locked it behind them. 

They shuffled over to the elevator and called a car, stepping inside when the doors slid open. They rode up to their floor in silence, Jason’s head nodding next to him as he fought to stay awake. 

“Almost there,” Tim murmured as the doors opened and they stepped out. 

They shuffled down the hall until they reached their door. Tim pulled out his keys and shoved the door open, pulling Jason inside. He locked the door behind them just in case and brought Jason to the bedroom. 

Jason collapsed onto the bed and Tim took the time to pull off his shoes. He toed out of his own shoes and walked around to the other side of the bed, crawling onto the mattress. He smiled at Jason who was already dozing off and pressed a kiss to his forehead. 

Jason reached out blindly for him and curled his fingers around Tim’s shirt without opening his eyes. Tim shuffled closer and pressed their foreheads together, eyes sliding shut even though he wasn’t tired.


	28. Chapter 28

Jason groaned and Tim smiled down at where he was pressed against his side. He was sitting up in bed working on his computer while he let Jason sleep after the two stressful days of the full moon he’d had. 

Tim ran his fingers through Jason’s hair, pushing the locks back. He sighed and snuggled closer against his side, his nose digging into the skin above Tim’s hip where his shirt had been pushed up. 

“How are you feeling?” Tim asked, looking down at him. 

Jason forced his eyes open, turning his head to stare blearily up at him. He grinned, lips pulling into a slow smile. “Tim,” he breathed. 

He pushed himself up and stuck his face into Tim’s neck, inhaling deeply. He pulled back and smiled. Tim smiled back, eyes shining behind his glasses. 

“You didn’t answer my question. How are you feeling?” Tim said with a chuckle. 

Jason hummed and dropped his head back onto Tim’s shoulder. “You smell good.” 

“Jason,” he huffed. 

“Missed you.” 

“You weren’t even gone that long. Only for each night.” 

“Yeah, but still,” he grumbled. “All the other Weres had their mates and you were alone in your tent.” 

“You met other Weres?” Tim asked, interest piqued. 

“Yeah. They were out running for the full moon. Did some hunting, I think. I think some of them were looking for mates while others already had theirs, too.” 

“No pretty Weres tried to seduce you, did they?” Tim asked, playfully. 

Teeth sank into Tim’s collarbone and he gasped. “Jason!” 

Jason released the bite and pressed a kiss to the skin. He raised his head, staring deep into Tim’s eyes. “You’re my mate.” 

“No, Jason that’s not-”

Jason leaned closer, bracing a hand on the other side of Tim’s waist. “You’re my mate,” he whispered, lips ghosting over Tim’s cheek. 

Tim shivered and Jason reached for his laptop without looking. He pressed the lid closed and set it on the bedside table. 

“Jason-”

He cut him off with a kiss, tilting his head back as their lips moved together. Tim’s fingers tangled into Jason’s hair, keeping him close. 

“Everyone else got time with their mates during the moon. I think it’s my turn.” 

Jason’s gaze burned and Tim swallowed, feeling heat lick underneath his skin. He watched as Jason’s nostrils flared and his pupils dilated. A slow, feral grin pulled at Jason’s lips before he sat back. 

He grabbed hold of Tim’s legs and pulled him forward so his back hit the mattress. Jason leaned over him and pressed him back into the mattress. 

He wrapped his lips around the soft skin on the side of his neck and Tim gasped, eyes sliding shut as Jason’s hands pushed at the hem of his shirt.


	29. Chapter 29

Dick’s nose wrinkled when Tim and Jason landed on the rooftop next to him. 

“God, I really don’t need to be smelling that right now,” he grumbled. 

Tim frowned. “Smell what?” he asked. 

Jason grinned sharply and slung an arm around Tim’s shoulders, pulling him against his side. “It’s not my fault that you don’t have a mate.” 

Dick grumbled something about the full moon under his breath and Tim’s brain froze as the pieces slid into place. He felt himself flush and groaned. 

“Nothing to be embarrassed about, Timmy,” Jason said low in his ear. 

Tim grumbled and pushed him away. “I’m allergic to you now.” 

“Ah, don’t say that,” he said, still grinning. 

“Can you save this for later?” Dick asked. “We kind of have something to take care of.” 

Jason sighed and straightened. 

“What did you call us here for anyway?” Tim asked. 

“You know that group of Weres that was here so many weeks back?” he asked. “The ones who attacked Tim and wanted to take control of Gotham’s land and make it their pack land?” 

Jason stiffened, a low growl sounding in the back of his throat. “Of course I remember them,” he snarled. 

“Calm down, Hood,” Dick sighed. “Save that anger for later because that small group is part of something larger. There’s a larger network that’s been going to all of the major cities to try and establish pack land.” 

“Why?” Jason asked. 

Dick shrugged. “It looks like they’re trying to create a chain across the U.S. They can gain control of major resources and keep other packs out of their cities.” 

“So, what?” Jason asked. “Are we going to go to all of these cities and hunt down these Weres?” 

“Not all of them, no. We’ve alerted the heroes in each of the other cities of what’s going on and they’re going to take care of the packs closest to them,” Dick explained. 

“So what does that mean for us?” Tim asked. “The pack that was here is gone.” 

Dick sighed. “That’s the thing. Another pack has moved in recently. They came just after the full moon.” 

Jason stiffened. 

“And they’re looking for us,” he continued. 

“Do they know about Red?” Jason asked, wrapping an arm around Tim’s waist and pulling him close.

Dick shrugged. “We’re not sure exactly. It’s a high possibility, but considering the size of this pack and the fact they’re looking to start a fight with us, I’d say it’s pretty likely. They know we fought their pack so someone could’ve explained why.” 

“Where are they?” Jason growled. 

Dick shrugged. “We’re working on tracking them down. We think we may have found one or two houses, but they’re not big enough to house the numbers that we’re expecting.” 

“Then what are we standing around for?!” 

Dick sighed. “I had to brief you first,” he grumbled. “Can you keep your Were under control for at least five minutes?” 

Jason didn’t say anything and Dick ran a hand through his hair. 

“You and me are going to go scope out some of these houses that we’re looking for. Batman is helping on the other side of town and is watching out for any potential attacks. Red Robin,” he said, turning to look at Tim. “We’re not happy with the possibility some people could come after you, but since we don’t have any concrete evidence they will, Batman isn’t willing to bench you.” 

Tim let out a breath, feeling relieved. 

“You’re going to be covering the usual patrol routes while we try and hunt down some of these leads. If you find anything suspicious or Were related, contact one of us immediately. You might be able to handle one Were on your own, but I doubt these pack members are going to be flying solo even if it looks that way.” 

Tim felt something simmer in his gut. “If they’re hurting someone, you can’t expect me to let that go.” 

Dick sighed. “And if it’s a trap?” 

Tim’s hand balled into fists and he pursed his lips. He wasn’t happy with this. And from his last experience, he knew that this pack was going to fight to the death if they had to.

“Let’s head out,” Dick said. “Hood, come with me.” 

Jason nodded. He squeezed Tim’s hip and stepped away. “I’ll see you later?” 

Tim nodded and watched them go.


	30. Chapter 30

The night felt unusually quiet as Tim worked through the patrols across Gotham. It was strange having to cover so much ground, but he was glad that Steph and Cass were helping with the patrols, too. It just made him uneasy that a good portion of the streets were left without someone to watch them for so long since there was so much ground to cover. 

Tim landed on top of a gargoyle and perched on its back. He looked down over the streets, straining his ears to try and pick up anything that might give away what’s going on down below. 

He sighed and straightened, rolling his shoulders before he dove from the building, firing his grapple to pull him up and swing to the next building. He covered several streets before something caught his attention. He crouched at the side of the roof and looked into an alley. A woman was being cornered by a man. From his perch he could see she was shaking and trying to shove her purse off on the man so he’d leave her alone. 

Tim frowned and checked the rest of the alley for any signs of accomplices. When he found it empty he jumped down into the alley and landed on the man’s shoulders. He staggered backwards and Tim wrapped his legs around his neck in a choke hold, using his weight to overbalance him and drag him to the ground. 

Tim caught his impact with the flat of his palms, but that did nothing to soften the impact for the man under him. 

“Do yourself a favor and stay down,” Tim growled. 

“In your dreams,” he bit out. 

Tim’s eyes widened when hands wrapped around his legs and flung him off. He rolled with the impact, using his momentum to push himself to his feet and center his gravity. 

The man got up and grinned at him, wiping the side of his mouth with the back of his hand. “I was really hoping that I’d get your attention.” 

“What?” Tim asked, eyes narrowing. 

The man rolled his shoulders, grin widening. “You even smell like him,” he said with a low chuckle. “Too bad for him that I’m going to take you from him in more ways than one. Tell me,” he said, stepping closer as Tim pulled his bo free. “Do you know what happens when a different Were fucks someone’s mate?” 

Tim’s eyes widened and his throat tightened as fear tightened his chest. The man stopped and inhaled deeply, eyelids fluttering shut. 

“You’re afraid. Good. That smells deliciousssss.” He grinned and half a second passed before he lunged at Tim. 

Tim blocked easily with his bo, his training taking over. He kicked out with his boot, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backwards. He wasn’t going to let him get close. He _couldn’t_ let him get close. 

The man’s frown dimmed and his eyes narrowed. “Aw, come on, don’t be like that.” He held his hands out to the side and Tim watched as sharpened claws extended from his fingertips. “I thought we were having some fun,” he said, rushing forward. 

Tim blocked his first swipe and jumped back when he tried to scratch through the kevlar on his chest. Memories of the last fight he’d had with Weres came back to him. The pain and the blood. He’d thought he was going to die then. But then wasn’t now. 

Tim grit his teeth and moved back, putting more space between them. He kept his eyes on the Were and reached for his belt where the tranquilizer dart was. 

The man took advantage of Tim only using one hand and ran towards him. Tim used the reach of his bo and shoved the end into his chest, sending him reeling back as the air was forced from his lungs. He coughed and staggered back, wheezing as he tried to suck in air. 

Tim didn’t take his eyes from him and wrenched the gun from his belt. He clicked off the safety and aimed for the man’s neck, the tranq hitting home. A pained sound came from the man and he reached for his neck, pulling the dart free, but it was too late, the sedative had already been dumped into his bloodstream. 

He growled and staggered forward, movements sluggish. Tim evaded his attacks easily, stepping back out of his way until he collapsed onto the ground. 

Tim let out a relieved breath and pulled a ziptie from his belt, securing the man’s hands behind his back. He pressed his communicator. 

“Red Robin to Red Hood and Nightwing. Come in,” he said. 

“Red Hood, here,” he answered quickly. 

“I’ve got someone you might want to come pick up.” 

“Who?” Jason asked, voice low. 

Tim squeezed his eyes shut. “A Were,” he answered hesitantly. 

“Don’t engage,” Jason said. 

“Um…” Tim said, looking down at the body in front of him. “Too late.” 

“God damn it,” he swore lowly. 

“He’s sedated?” Tim asked, trying to relieve some of the tension. 

“I’ll be there in ten.” 

“Sure,” Tim muttered and sighed. He ran a hand through his hair and was about to collapse his bo when pain exploded on his back.


	31. Chapter 31

Tim stumbled forward and whirled around, trying to breathe through the pain from his back. Cool air hit his skin and he was sure the back of his suit was in tatters and blood was seeping from the wound even if he couldn’t feel it yet. 

A young man was standing at the mouth of the alley shirtless. His chest heaved as he sucked in gasps of air and the claws at the end of his hand were covered in blood. 

“Shit,” Tim hissed under his breath, changing his handle on the bo staff. 

“Finally,” he said, voice low as his eyes sparkled. “I’m so glad that I’m going to be the one to kill you. I can’t wait until your mate finds your lifeless and mutilated body.” 

Tim sighed. “You Weres need to come up with a better strategy. It’s getting kind of old.” 

The man’s grin morphed into a scowl as he growled in the back of his throat. “I’m going to love getting to shut you up.” 

“I don’t think so,” Tim said as the Were rushed towards him. Tim ducked out of the way under his outstretched arm. He pulled his grapple gun from his belt and attached the line to the belt of the unconscious Were. 

Tim glanced over his shoulder and ducked another blow. He threw one hand on the ground, taking his weight as he kicked out, hitting the man in the stomach. He stumbled back and Tim watched with glee as he fell backwards onto his ass. He took the extra seconds it offered and shot the grapple towards the roof. 

He stopped the line and hurried out of range as the first Were was pulled from the ground to dangle several feet in the air from his belt. 

Tim was about to turn when something heavy barreled into his side. It threw him off his feet and sent him rolling across the ground. He gasped and winced as the hard ground dug into the injuries on his back. 

When he rolled to a stop, he tried to put out a hand to push himself to his feet, but the pain throbbing across his back was making it hard to breathe and focus on what he needed to do. He tightened his grip on his staff and pushed himself up slightly, his muscles shaking under the movement. 

A foot landed on his fist and he grunted at the pressure. A hand gripped his hair and wrenched his head back, sending a throb of pain through his back as the strands of his hair were tugged harshly. 

Hot breath fanned over his neck and the side of his face and he shuddered, panic constricting his chest. 

“Are you ready to bleed?” 

Tim chuckled darkly despite the precarious position he was in. “I think you may have hit your head when you fell on your ass. Last time I checked, I was already bleeding, but I guess intelligence isn’t your strength.” 

The Were growled and shoved his head into the concrete. He grunted as rocks and pebbles dug into his cheek, scraping at the skin. He mentally fought to calculate how much time had passed. He was sure it wasn’t enough, but he was hoping that as soon as Jason got close enough, he’d smell what was going on and come running. 

“You have no idea how much I’m going to enjoy this.” 

“I think I have some idea,” Tim grumbled. He tested the pressure on his hand and found his hand and his bo were immobile. He made a fist with his free hand and took a breath to steady himself. 

The punch was awkward as he aimed it over and behind his head, but it still connected with the side of the Were’s face. He reeled back, more from surprise than the actual impact, Tim was sure, but his grip loosened on his hair and the pressure lessened on his hand. 

Tim threw his weight to the side, toppling the Were. Tim’s balance wasn’t steady and he fell with the impact, landing on top of him for a moment before he forced his body away. 

His movements were slow and sluggish and he wondered how much blood he’d already lost if he was this uncoordinated. He staggered to his feet and readied his bo, chest heaving. He blinked, wishing he could curl up in a ball and sleep instead of continue to fight. The Were was looking far better than he was, but he still struggled to get back on his feet. 

“You little shit,” he snarled. He took a step forward before a blur of brown landed on top of him, taking him to the ground. 

Tim wanted to sob in relief as he dropped to one knee, using his bo to keep him from collapsing completely. 

“Stay down unless you want your throat ripped out,” Jason growled. 

The Were stilled and Jason didn’t waste time hitting a pressure point in his neck, making his whole body go numb. He secured his hands and turned to Tim, walking over to him. 

“You okay?” Jason asked and Tim could hear the displeasure in his voice. 

“I’ve had better days,” he ground out. “I didn’t even get to break the pinata.” 

Jason sighed. “Nightwing,” he said opening the comm link. “I need you to come to my location immediately. We have two Weres that we can get info out of. I’m taking Red Robin back to the Cave.” 

“I’ll be there in five minutes,” he answered quickly. 

“Okay, babe, let’s go,” Jason said, helping Tim stand. He lifted him in his arms and Tim cut off a hiss as his back was jostled. “We’re going to talk about this later.” 

Tim sighed, not having the energy to argue or explain himself.


	32. Chapter 32

Tim sighed with relief when the blanket was tucked around his form on the hospital gurney in the Cave. Most of his torso was wrapped in bandages to cover the cuts and scrapes on his back. They weren’t deep enough to need stitches, but they’d sting and pull for a few days. 

He pulled his knees up to his chest and let himself sink into the stiff mattress, ready to sleep for a week. 

“Where did you take them?” Jason murmured from where he was several feel away speaking into his comm to Dick. “Got it. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He paused to listen. “Yup. All patched up. It’ll take time to heal but didn’t need stitches. Yeah, yeah, I’ll head your way in five. Red Hood out.” 

He turned and looked at Tim. He felt a stab of guilt at seeing the exhaustion in Jason’s eyes. He bit his lip to stop himself from babbling out a string of apologies. Jason sighed and walked over to him, running his fingers through his hair. 

“How are you feeling?” 

“Exhausted,” Tim murmured. “And ready to sleep.” 

“Good, because that’s what you’re going to be doing while Dick and I take care of our little stray dog problem.” 

Tim nodded, not bothering to lift his head. “I’m…I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I thought it was just the one guy and didn’t even think he was a Were and-” 

Tim cut himself off when Jason shook his head. 

“You’re safe. That’s all that matters right now.” 

“Still,” Tim said, catching his hand. “What I did was stupid.” 

Jason smiled. He still looked tired, but the worst of it was starting to pass. “We’re vigilantes. We’re all, like, 93% stupid.” 

Tim chuckled and rubbed his thumb over the back of his hand. “So…interrogation?” he asked. 

Jason raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “Dick and I are going to take care of that and drive out the rest of the Were population if they insist on causing trouble. You’re going to stay here and rest and Alfred’s manning the computer so you can get updates from him.” 

Tim heaved a sigh, pretending to be exasperated, but for once he didn’t mind staying in the Cave when an interrogation and possible raid was happening. He was getting really tired of having to deal with Werewolves. One of them was enough. 

“You’re going to stay here,” Jason said, leveling him with a look. 

“Don’t worry,” Tim said. “I’m ready to sleep for eight hours at least. That’s plenty of time for you to get through all of your stuff and get back here to wrangle me into bed when I try to get up out of boredom.” 

“I’ll be counting on it,” Jason said. He ducked his head and pressed a kiss to Tim’s lips, tilting his head back into the pillow. 

They both sighed when they pulled apart. 

“Stay here and stay safe,” Jason said. 

Tim smiled and cupped the side of his face with his hand. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll be waiting here for you when you get back. You stay safe yourself. Both of us don’t need to be laid up in hospital beds.” 

Jason chuckled. “I’m going to be doing the hurting more than getting hurt. Especially after what they did to you.” 

The dark promises in Jason’s tone made Tim shiver. 

“Hurry up and come back to me,” he whispered before pressing one last kiss to Jason’s lips. 

“Now that,” he said, straightening. “Isn’t going to be a problem.” 

Tim kept his eyes locked on Jason as he stepped back. He stuck his domino over his eyes and slid his helmet on, securing the latches under his chin. He smiled at Jason even though he couldn’t see what his expression was doing. But before he walked over to his bike, he ran a gloved hand through Tim’s tangled and dirty hair. 

Tim sighed and closed his eyes, blinking them open slowly when Jason’s hand fell away. He watched his back and broad shoulders as he strode to his bike. He swung a leg over and started the engine, the low rumble echoing in the Cave. 

Tim curled tighter in on himself as Jason gave him one last look before tearing out of the Cave. 

It was going to be a long night, but Tim was sure with how tired he was, he’d barely notice Jason’s absence.


	33. Chapter 33

Jason strode into the warehouse, standing tall. He could hear some muffled insults coming from further in and cracked his knuckles as he walked. 

The two Weres from earlier were restrained with cable that was wrapped around their chests. Both of them looked unhappy, but the one who’d still been conscious when he found Tim was hissing most of the insults. 

Dick was leaning against a crate and to anyone who might’ve been looking who wasn’t a Bat, he would’ve seemed completely at ease, but Jason could see the stiff set of his shoulders and knew he wanted to beat the shit out of the Weres just as much as he did. 

They’d hurt Tim and they were trying to encroach on their city and for that they were going to pay. 

“Finally,” the man who was swearing said when Jason stepped into the circle of light. “I was hoping you would show up soon. How’s the mate?” he snarled, sadistic grin pulling at his lips. 

Before he could blink Jason had a hand in his hair and shoved his knee in his face. He heard his nose splinter before blood started pouring from the wound. 

“Mother _fucker_ ,” he cursed, trying to pull out of Jason’s grasp. 

“Keep pushing your luck like that and there’s going to be nothing left of you to drag out of here when the job is done. You’ll be nothing more than a bloodstain on the floor.” 

He grinned, teeth already covered in blood. “Do you worst,” he hissed. 

“I plan to,” Jason said, releasing him and stepping back. He rolled his neck and shoulders, the muscles popping and cracking from the movement. “Now, where’s the rest of your pack hiding?” 

“You think we’re just going to spill all our secrets to you?” the second Were scoffed, finally raising his head to look at Jason. 

“Maybe not yet, but you will Thing Two,” Jason said, leaning close. “Because this is our territory and you fuckers had the audacity to hurt my mate.” He pulled out a dagger from his belt and placed the tip against Thing Two’s cheek, lightly trailing it down to his jaw. “Now are you going to start talking or do I have to make you bleed?” 

The other Were scoffed. “You’re just an egomaniac. I don’t know how your mate can even stand you.” 

“What was that, Thing One?” Jason asked, turning to look at him, but not making a move to step away from the second Were. 

“You heard me. You’re probably insufferable to be around. Especially since he’s a human.” 

Jason straightened and walked over to Thing One. He stared down at him. He was staring back, eyes defiant despite the bloody mess of his face. He glanced back at the second Were who was watching the first one. Not them both, just the Were. 

“Oh I see how it is,” he drawled, smile pulling at his lips. He walked back over to Thing Two, circling around him until he was standing behind him. He gripped the strands of his hair and forced his head back, looking over at Thing One who was watching them. “You’re trying to protect him. You have a soft spot for this one, don’t you?” he asked, placing the dagger against his exposed throat. 

“Don’t-” Thing One started and immediately cut himself off, wincing when he realized he’d confirmed his weakness. 

“Jack,” the second Were rasped despite the precarious position he was in with a blade at his throat. 

Jack’s breathing quickened as he watched him and Jason knew what he was feeling. These two might not have officially become mates yet, but it was undeniable how close they were. 

“You give me the answers I want and you swear you’ll never come back to Gotham and I’ll let the two of you go and you can live happily ever after and make lots of beautiful Were-babies,” Jason said. 

“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” Jack said, babbling mindlessly. “As long as you don’t hurt Ben and you’re good on your word.” 

“I’m always good on my word. But if you try to fuck with me? You’ll realize very quickly just how big of a mistake that can be,” he hissed, digging the edge of the blade into Ben’s neck so a single line of blood slid down his neck. 

Ben’s breathing quickened and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to drive the blade in further. 

“Okay, okay. I promise. I give you my word that we’ll get as far from Gotham as we can when this is all over. I’ll tell you whatever you need to know,“ Jack said, voice rising in pitch. 

“Good,” Jason said and stepped back, taking the dagger from Ben’s neck and releasing the grip on his hair. He walked over to one of the crates and sat down, twirling the dagger between his fingers even as Dick continued to stay silent. “Let’s get down to business.”


	34. Chapter 34

Jason rolled his shoulders after he landed on the rooftop opposite the third decrepit apartment he’d raided with Dick. According to the information they’d gotten from Thing One and Thing Two, that was the last of the Weres who were trying to infiltrate Gotham. 

The ones that were already there, anyway. 

Jason didn’t really care much for the distinction. He was exhausted despite the adrenaline and leftover energy thrumming through his veins because of the fights and he wanted nothing more than to get back to the Manor and climb into bed with Tim. 

The rational part of his brain was telling him that Tim was fine and no more harm was going to come to him. He had plenty of people protecting him and the threat had been driven out. But the Were inside of him was insisting that he get back to his mate and make sure that he was fine. Because what if he wasn’t? What if something had gone wrong? What if a group of Weres had somehow found the Cave and taken down Bruce, Damian, and Alfred? 

“Get back to the Cave,” Dick said when he landed next to him.

“What?” he asked. 

“Get back to the Cave,” he repeated. “You’re no good like this and I know your head’s not in it. I can take care of the two Weres we left in the warehouse and make sure they leave Gotham. You need to get back to your mate before you go insane.” 

“But what if they-”

“Hood, I’ll be fine,” Dick said, turning to face him. “I know how to handle them and they’re going to want nothing more than to get the hell out of here now that the other members of their ex-pack know it must’ve been them to rat them out.” 

Jason sighed and nodded. “If you’re sure.” 

“I am. Now go.” 

Jason turned on his heel and sprinted across the rooftop. He’d stowed his bike a few streets over with Nightwing’s and retrieved it quickly, tearing down the streets at unbelievable speeds and not giving any thought to the other cars on the road. 

His heart was already miles ahead of where he was. He was just following it back to where he needed to be. To where his home was. 

The tires of his bike screeched on the floor of the Cave as he zoomed down the ramp. He had to brake hard to avoid crashing into the other bikes and left a tire track on the floor that he knew Alfred would get onto him for later. 

He pulled off his helmet as he hurried over to the medical cots and froze, blood turning to ice and muscles locking up when he found both beds empty. 

“Welcome back, Master Jason.” 

He whirled around to find Alfred standing behind him. 

“Master Timothy is upstairs in his room resting,” he said before Jason could even form his question. 

Jason relaxed, letting out a breath. He swallowed, trying to calm himself down. “Don’t scare me like that, Alfred,” he said, voice weak and tight. 

“My apologies, sir. I did not realize what it would do to you if you saw his bed empty after your escapades this evening. But I’m sure Master Timothy is eagerly awaiting your arrival.” 

Jason nodded. “Thanks, Al,” he said as he hurried past. He ran for the stairs, climbing them quickly. He rushed to the bedrooms, hesitating before he let himself into his own room. He stripped out of his uniform, taking a couple extra minutes to wipe off the worst of the sweat and grime with a washcloth, before he pulled on some sweats and a loose tee. 

He walked down to Tim’s room, calmer this time and knocked gently on the door. 

“Come in,” Tim said, yawning. 

He pushed open the door and slipped inside. “Hey babe,” he murmured, walking over to the bed where Tim was making a valiant effort at staying awake. “How are you feeling?” he asked, running a hand through Tim’s hair. 

Tim smiled up at him, exhaustion plain in his face. “Better now that you’re back.” He moved backward in bed until his back was pressed against the wall. “Lay down with me.” 

Jason pulled the covers back and gladly stretched out next to him, draping his arm around Tim’s back and pulling him close. He pressed a kiss to Tim’s lips. Tim’s hands curled into his shirt as their lips moved together and Jason finally felt the Were fully relax inside of him. 

Tim was okay. They were safe. And they were going to be safe for the rest of their lives. He’d make sure of it.

Tim sighed when they broke apart and he snuggled closer. “Is it over?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” Jason said, voice soft in the silence around them as he rubbed his hand up and down Tim’s spine and pressed his cheek to the top of Tim’s head. “It’s over. And no one’s going to hurt you again.” 

Tim huffed a tired laugh. “I don’t think you’re going to be able to keep that promise,” he said. “Vigilante, remember?” 

“Maybe I won’t be able to,” he said, burying his face in Tim’s hair. “But I can damn well try.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are loved and appreciated!
> 
> You can find me on [Tumblr](my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](twitter.com/m_o_l_i_m)


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